Divided Soul
by Maybe89
Summary: V/H AU. In a timeline where Zaibach rules nearly all of Gaea and the Abaharaki rebel against them, Van and Hitomi meet under mysterious circumstances. Shortly thereafter, things escalate more rapidly than expected.
1. Chapter 1

**First of all, I'm very grateful to got to know 40four here on this platform. Without her, I wouldn't be able to translate my original german FF into english. So - thank you, thank you, thank you for your precious help with this!**

 **I've already uploaded 10 Chapters in german (with another title), but I won't continue the german storyline here.  
**

 **I hope you'll enjoy this fanfiction and you have fun reading it. :)**

 **Greetings, May**

 **P.S.: I don't own Escaflowne or any of its characters and I make no money with my story.**

* * *

 **Divided soul  
**

 **Chapter 1**

 _Precipitation, moisture, and her wandering thoughts…_

The young woman sighed quietly. The monotonous, soothing rattle of rain outside had put her into a sort of dormancy. Her eyes were unfocused, zoning into the world of mist through the large windows of her quarters. Her chin rested on her forearms, carefully supported on bent knees.

Wet, smooth hair framed her delicate face. She was daydreaming again. She had sold her body; countless times.  
To even waste more thoughts on it was a squander of precious time.

When she was young and her parents had died of an unknown illness, she'd been brought to an orphanage. The matron, an old, uptight woman, wasn't thrilled about it. At 13 years of age, Hitomi simply was too old to ever be incorporated into a new family. To make up for being such a burden, she had to help with all the daily chores in the orphanage, before she was taken away by a woman when she turned 15.

Hitomi clearly remembered the heavy perfume and the bouquet of flowers surrounding the woman. Her scent and the color of her extraordinary long, red hair had embedded itself in her senses.

Staring outside again, thick raindrops continued to rattle onto the balcony where small puddles were already beginning to form. Through the heavy rain curtains, she beheld the bell tower, which was chiming for the seventh time. It meant she had to head downstairs and get to work; again. Sighing heavily, she rose from her position.

* * *

A few hours later, Hitomi was sitting at the bar in the reception area. Her first visitor had left a while ago. She was so tired of it. She was bored of men and being made to only do what pleased them.

On the other hand, she didn't have much else in life, and no chance to get away from here. The Red Madame, as everybody knew her in this milieu, provided room and board. In return, her girls were required to perform and do so without a single complaint.

If she had to be truthful, her life really wasn't as bad as it could be.

The young woman scanned the crowded room. When she spotted a new visitor which she hadn't ever seen in here before, she allowed herself to scrutinize him more closely. He was looking completely out of place amongst the other customers and she wondered why she hadn't noticed him sooner.  
His height was impressive and his age difficult to estimate.

Black, wild hair covered his head, framing a handsome face and even in the dim candlelight, his body looked well trained. Just when she was about to face the bar again, he turned his head in her direction. Rich, mahogany eyes caught hers for a moment.

Quickly, Hitomi swiveled around and reached for her glass, suppressing the strange feeling spreading in her body. Her friend, who was sitting next to her, noticed her reaction and smiled devilishly.

"Seems like we have a new one. Don't recall seeing him here before." Said the blonde beauty and looked towards the mysterious man again.

"Hm." Hitomi didn't dare look up and sipped her drink. "Men who come here are all the same." After uttering this judgment, Hitomi got up from the tall stool and was about to leave the bar, but she didn't get far.

Right in front of her, barricading the way, stood the very subject of their conversation, staring straight at her.  
Hitomi swallowed timidly, lifting her head. A practiced, mechanical smile immediately appeared on her beautiful lips as she placed her hand on his forearm.

"What brings you here tonight?" she asked seductively, desperately attempting to suppress the weird feeling tingling in her stomach when she looked into his eyes and noticed his full lips and the beard stubble on his face. He was still staring at her intently, a corner of his mouth now pulled upwards in a charming grin.

"I need information." His deep voice seemed to vibrate in her stomach and she tilted her head in amusement.  
"The Red Madame won't be thrilled if all I do with my mouth is talk ..." but before she got a chance to finish, the man pushed a small, heavy pouch into her hands.

"I believe she will be very happy with this. Can we talk somewhere private? "He interrupted her with determination.  
Hitomi moistened her lips when she weighed the coin purse in her hands. How much money was this? Perhaps, she could siphon some off before surrendering the bag to the Red Madame. Just thinking about the consequences made her sick. She held on to the bag tightly and motioned for the visitor to follow.

Her friend had observed the exchange with raised eyebrows and was, admittedly, almost a trifle jealous.  
"When you're done with your little conversation, I would be delighted to serve you in other regards, sweetheart!" She called laughing softly and tossed her blond mane about seductively.

Hitomi rolled her eyes inconspicuously and jingled the coin purse before handing it to the man posted in front of the Red Madame's office. After that, she motioned for the dark-haired stranger to follow her to a staircase which lead to the first floor of the building. Stopping at the second door on the left, she opened it slowly. As always, the scent of heavy perfume instantly wafted into her face.

The linens had already been replaced. However, she was beginning to doubt that her black-haired companion was interested in the usual services.

"Shall we?" She whispered and invited him in. After the visitor entered, she closed the door behind him and settled on the cushions. Hitomi gave him a small smile and patted the empty space next to her, but the newcomer simply shook his head.

"I'm not here for **that**. As I said before, I need information. I was told that you've been …employed here for a long time." He hesitated for a moment as if thinking about how to properly phrase everything. Hitomi's green eyes caught his, which caused him to swallow noticeably. She hadn't missed this reaction and reclined deeper into her pillow.

She was intrigued by this little game. A man like him was entirely new to her. To take pride in it would be bizarre, but she was one of the few ladies here who was clearly favored by the customers. Regardless, this man seemed to be unmoved by her appearance.

"Indeed, I've been…employed… here for several years." She eyed him from under thick lashes. "Are you sure you wouldn't be more comfortable over here with me? I won't bite unless you want me to of course."  
Her melodic laughter reverberated in his ears. When he simply ignored her words, she sighed. "Fine, what do you want to know?" she finally asked, eyeing him with suspicion.

"I'm looking for a man. He's of great importance but has been difficult to locate for a long time now. Since I've been following all leads without success, this place seems to be my last chance."  
Lowering his gaze, the black-haired visitor focused on the velvet carpet under his feet.

The strong odor of heavy perfume wafting around the entire room was beginning to delude his senses, making him feel progressively more uncomfortable. His whole body tingled in unease, causing the need to wipe his sweaty hands on the fabric of his pants.

The intensity in his counterpart's green eyes made it no easier. God knows it had been tough for him to ignore what a stunning creature laid so invitingly in the sheets before him. Long ago, he had sworn to never give in to the temptations of such a woman and he had no intention of breaking this pledge now. However, before he came to this building tonight, he hadn't known what, or rather who awaited him here.

Hitomi sighed, studied him for a moment, and got off the bed. Light-footed, she approached him and placed her hand on his chest. While she spoke, she ran her fingertips up and down his chest.

"You know quite well that we can't reveal the names of our customers. That's why the men come here. They can do as they please and remain anonymous. " She placed a particular emphasis on the word 'anonymous' and looked at him through those thick eyelashes again.

After that, she let go of him, went to a small table and poured red wine from a crystal decanter into two glasses.  
"Here, have a drink," she said and handed him one of the glasses. "Maybe it will help you calm down. I can see how tense you are. "

His dark eyes bore into hers but she couldn't discern the look in them. It caused a small shiver to travel down her spine. He had been intriguing from the moment he'd looked at her at the bar and, truly, it was beginning to annoy her that he didn't show any interest in her at all. She sipped some of the wine and leaned her hip against the door frame beside him. He still made no move to sit down.

"I have not seen this man in a long time, but if he still looks as I remember, he is very tall. His hair is silver and could be long; his eyes are a rusty red color. Have you seen someone who matches this description? "He finally asked after taking a gulp from his glass as well. He noticed that the woman briefly considered the question before averting her gaze.

"If I give you an answer, what's in it for me?" she finally asked, placing the empty glass back on the table.  
"I've already given you enough money, "he replied, slightly startled. What was she thinking? There had easily been a week's work worth of coin in the purse.

"I have no use for money. It all belongs to the Red Madame." With a sly glance, she moved back to him. "I just earn the pleasure," she looked deep into his eyes and traced her fingers down the length of his arm, "by entertaining our customers. So if you want information, you have to offer me something other than money." Her hand wandered from his arm to his torso and came to rest near the hem of his pants, fingers tracing back and forth across the hem lazily. "A bit of your time would be nice. Of course, you can always try to ask one of my associates downstairs the same question instead."

Hitomi really couldn't explain why she was making it so difficult for him; why she was still trying to seduce him. It wasn't that she enjoyed her job, but this man somehow captivated her.

For the first time in her life, she felt something like true desire and it happened to be directed towards a man who completely refused her advances.

While she pondered this, he simply stared at her. He truly hadn't expected such a reaction. Did she really know his brother? Had he actually been here? He hadn't dared to consider it possible anymore. Not after spending the last ten years chasing any and every odd hint in vain. None had ever proven to be useful. Would he finally find an answer to his question here? Should he perhaps give in to her seduction in the hopes of loosening her tongue? He swallowed again, heavily, his eyes resting on her sensual lips. He then shook his head.  
"I can't... I swore to never exploit a woman in such a way. "

Hitomi simply stared at him, entirely taken aback. Her green eyes widened when she listened to his words and she had a hard time believing him.  
"You really are something else," she whispered finally, "someone like you has never happened to me before."  
Again, she approached him; his gaze following her footsteps and swaying hips intently. She focused on his face again, but he averted his eyes and took another sip of wine.

Hitomi felt so lost all of a sudden. It was as if the solid ground had disappeared from under her feet. For a long time, she had given up on men completely, assuming that they were all the same anyway. It had caused her to lose true interest altogether, until tonight.

When she had been younger, she always hoped to someday meet a man who was different, here in this very house. To meet a man who was unlike those who solely sought to satisfy their desires through her.  
In this very moment, she was forced to realize that this very man, the man she had ceased to believe even existed, was standing in front of her. She struggled to regain her composure. She did indeed know about the man he was asking about. He had frequently visited the Red Madame herself, but now rarely called upon her anymore. She had never thought to question who he was.

His appearance had frightened her. It was his ice-cold expression and eyes that chilled her to the bone. Lost in thought, she turned away from her visitor and sank back into the cushions, every seductive intention finally abandoned.

"I have seen the man you're looking for," Hitomi finally replied. Her big, green eyes were reflecting the sincerity of her statement.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Hitomi sat on the bed and continued to stare blankly at the black-haired man in front of her. She noted his strained appearance and wondered what kind of relationship he had with the man in question. Finally, she was so mesmerized by his garnet eyes that she told him: "For a while, he came to the Red Madame quite frequently, although I don't know why. Her customers are none of our business. However, I **have** noticed that he hasn't been around for a while. So you see, the odds of you finding him here are rather low."

While she spoke, Hitomi noticed that the expression in his eyes was changing from hopeful to utterly desperate.

"At this rate, I'll never find him," he muttered and slumped down in the armchair next to the small table. His head sank low, into his hands, elbows resting on his knees. Quietly sitting there, he stared at the floor below. Hitomi was at a loss for words, although she did feel the strong urge to help him. She rose from the bed with intentions to comfort him but then suddenly heard loud noises from the lower level.

A bit perturbed she walked to the door, about to open it but it was already being pushed open so violently that it almost flew out of its hinges as her blonde friend stormed into the room.

"Hitomi! We have to hide! Quickly!" She cried anxiously, her eyes frantically scanning the room.

"Why? Mina, what's going on downstairs?" Hitomi's green eyes darted back and forth between her friend and the stranger who had jumped out of the armchair and came to stand beside her.

"I don't know for sure, but there are a bunch of soldiers looking for someone and interrogating our customers." Glancing at the black-haired man, she added gravely "I think they are looking for him."

Hitomi was about to reply but stopped when she noticed, with no small measure of unease, that the man next to her was pulling a dagger out of his worn boots. "If I were you, I'd be quiet…" A piercing gaze from his dark eyes met her green ones while Mina gasped for air.

"What are you doing?" She hissed, pulling Mina behind herself in a protective manner.

"If they see you both with me, they won't hesitate to arrest you. I can take care of myself, but I'm not sure about you." While he was speaking, he cast restless glances towards the closed door, attempting to evaluate the turmoil behind it which was intensifying by the minute.

"You won't need your dagger," Hitomi replied and pushed Mina towards the edge of the room. There was a dark armoire the black-haired stranger hadn't paid notice to before. He watched curiously as Hitomi opened it, her fingers gliding across the bottom edge and activating some sort of hidden mechanism. His eyebrows arched in astonishment as the back of the armoire disappeared into the back wall and a dark hallway appeared behind it.

"Mina, get in there and hide in the basement. You too." The green-eyed woman instructed the man behind her. The noises outside were coming closer now and she nervously glanced at the door once more.

The black-haired man was expecting her to join them but Hitomi roughly shoved him through the opening after Mina had already disappeared.

"What…," he began to speak, but she silenced him by placing a finger across his lips. She regarded him stoically before smiling for a moment and speaking. "I will try to distract them for a moment, so you two can escape. I think I heard Knight Shezar downstairs. He wouldn't dare to hurt me...much." Her smile went wry. The man was startled by the cold glow in her otherwise lovely, warm eyes.

He suppressed the rising urge to protect her from this so-called Knight. However, there was definitely no time for such strange urges.

Hitomi quietly stared into his eyes before simply closing the secret doors. Why was she even helping him? She wasn't sure but her instincts told her that she had to protect this man at all costs, and her feelings hadn't ever betrayed her.

Hitomi hardly had a chance to mask her face with innocence before the door was pushed open violently – again. Five men bolted in, scanning the whole room before lining up around her. Hitomi feigned shock and grew rigid when a well-known man entered.

His long, blonde mane was tied back and he stared at her with cold, cobalt blue eyes. "Have you had customers tonight, sweetheart?" he asked with a distorted smile on his handsome face. Hitomi reciprocated this with an awkward smile of her own and pondered how to react. She decided not to answer his question and instead distract him otherwise. "Allen Shezar, Knight Caeli. What an honor for me to be able to welcome you here tonight. Surely, we won't need all these men here?" She approached him seductively, hips swaying and placed her hand on his chest.

His distorted smile intensified when he grasped her hand and pulled her body flush against his. "I'll claim my pleasure from you again soon enough, sweetheart, but not right now. Instead, I would appreciate you answering my question." His fingers traced across her cheek and she responded by pressing her face against his large hand. She had to stall him long enough for the black-haired stranger to get away safely, no matter the consequences.

Meanwhile, said black-haired man was quietly watching the scene through the keyhole of the armoire. He needed to know who was looking for him. Besides, it didn't feel right to leave this woman behind completely, so he had stayed in case she had to be protected. The spectacle which was unfolding on the other side of the door certainly did not amuse him and a low growling sound slowly began to build in the back of his throat.

Hitomi was tightly nestled up against the knight's body. She didn't pay any mind to the soldiers around them, who looked at her indifferently. "I certainly had visitors tonight already. But you know that I'm not allowed to mention any names." She cooed softly into his ear.

The Knight chuckled darkly at her playful gesture and pushed Hitomi aside roughly, smacking her supple ass. "I have no time for your games, sweetheart." He inspected the room anyway, scanning every corner and added gravely "We're looking for a black-haired man, a member of the Abaharaki. He was seen entering this house. Do you know him?" Waiting for an answer, he came to a stop a few steps away from her.

She played with the soft strands of her hair and looked at him mischievously. "Honey, do you really think that I would spend my time with somebody like that?" Softly laughing, she walked across the room and not without playfully glancing at the soldiers here and there. She plopped onto her pillows theatrically and sighed loudly. "You above all should know, who I want in this bed. " Her fingertips stroked along the length of her leg as she averted her green eyes from his piercing gaze.

The man in the armoire by now had a very difficult time not giving away his hiding spot.

"Just to reassure you, I haven't seen anyone who matches your description." Lying wasn't an issue for her. She was a good liar, but she hoped that Mina and the other women hadn't already given away the truth. The Knight Caeli regarded her closely, searching for dishonesty in her eyes before ordering his men out of the room. After the door closed and Hitomi looked at him from under thick eyelashes, he considered whether he could free up some time to play after all.

He closed the distance between them with a few fast strides and seized her chin. "You know that I could do anything to you. Whatever I want – without any consequences. So I would advise you to not even think about lying to me and if you do happen to see this man, contact me at once. Do you understand, sweetheart?"

A cold, hard kiss followed before he pushed her back onto the bed.

"You will come tonight, won't you?" Hitomi whispered and bit her lower lip in hopes of having appeared most sincere. The knight only smirked and went to the door.

"It would be wise to do as I said." With this, he finally left the room.

Hitomi waited a few moments, until she was sure that the soldiers were gone, then finally allowed herself to draw a deep breath of air before she relaxed on her bed.

"That was close," Hitomi whispered to herself and closed her eyes.

The noise from behind the armoire was so quiet she nearly missed it and when one side swung open noisily, she jumped a bit.

"Nothing compares to the weapons of a beautiful woman."

She froze in her spot on the bed, the dark voice having sent chills down her spine.

"What are you still doing here? Do you want to be caught?" Hitomi hissed at the black-haired man who had appeared in her room again, leaving the hiding spot empty.

He swiftly came to her and grasped her small hands. His black, tousled bangs fell across his intense eyes and her breath was caught in her throat as she saw his earnest expression. "Thank you. I owe you a whole lot." He whispered.

Hitomi could have imagined it but she could have sworn that he had leaned in, just slightly, pondering something before he abruptly spun around and went back to the closet.

"The passage leads to our basement. From there you'll get to the shipyard." She sighed quietly and watched him disappear without glancing back again.

Hitomi's heart was pounding rapidly in her chest and her cheeks felt hot. What on Gaea was this guy doing with her? Why was she suddenly so flustered?

* * *

Van carefully snuck through the dark passage and attempted to avoid thinking about this emerald-eyed woman. He had to stay focused on his mission and for that, he had to get back into hiding without attracting any further attention. The knight had told the woman that he was a member of the Abaharaki, so why did she help him escape? It seemed like she was trustworthy.

He followed the way around left and then found himself in front of a door, listening closely before opening it. No sound was to be heard on the other side, so he quietly turned the handle and peered into the space behind it. Rows upon rows of wine barrels and other hospitality items, as well as boxes with unknown contents, were stored here. None of this was of any interest to him. To his right, he spotted another door which he then approached with determination. Another dark passageway was waiting for him there, so he quickly slipped inside.

After a while, the ground inclined slightly, ending in a stairway leading upwards. At the top end, he saw a hatch which hopefully, finally would lead him outside. After climbing the few steps, he cracked the hatch carefully and strained his ears, listening. Not a single sound reached his ears, so he opened the hatch completely. He lifted himself out gracefully and landed in another room. He moaned, slightly annoyed. Where had he landed now? Apparently another storage room, but where? Was he close to the shipyard already?

Carefully, he padded across the room, listening to the muffled sounds that penetrated the door in front of him. If he wanted to get out of here, he had to go through it. There was no other way. He closed his eyes for a moment, asking the Gods for luck, and mentally prepared himself to reach for his dagger, should the need arise.

* * *

Hitomi had gone downstairs after the turmoil ebbed. In the bar, she found a slightly distressed Mina, an angry Red Madame and the rest of the girls, who were lined up in front of their mistress nervously.

"What was that all about?"

"Why were these soldiers here?"

"They scared our customers!"

Hitomi heard the questions and cries only marginally as she settled on a bar stool next to Mina, who looked at her with a deep frown. "Are you going to tell me why you endangered yourself just to cover for him?" She finally asked in a hushed but serious tone.

"I honestly don't know." Hitomi's emerald eyes wandered to the bottle of auburn whiskey sitting on the bar. After a moment of hesitation, she got up, walked around the counter and poured two small tumblers. She gave one to Mina and drained her own in a single gulp. The alcohol was burning its way down her throat and she hoped it would finally clear away thoughts about a certain dark-haired stranger. Mina smirked. "It seems like someone is in quite a hurry to forget," she said as she took a small sip as well.

"Girls, listen to me!" shouted the Red Madame while glaring in Hitomi's direction. She flinched involuntarily and abandoned the whiskey bottle. "These soldiers were looking for a man who seems to belong to a group of rebels calling themselves _Abaharaki_. If you see a man with black, short hair, reddish brown eyes, tall and built, let me know immediately. I will not tolerate such a visitor in this house." With these words, she glanced at Hitomi sternly and rushed to her office.

Had she noticed? Cold shivers rushed down Hitomi's spine at the thought of this possibility and the consequences thereof.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully. After the raid, only few other men dared to visit their house and Hitomi had nothing left to do except indulging in more whiskey and thoughts about the stunning stranger. Mina came to her side again, took Hitomi's glass and emptied it herself.

"He truly was gorgeous," she whispered and regarded Hitomi with wide, blue eyes. "Kind of a shame he was not interested in your services." At first, Hitomi gave no reply.

"Oops. Did I hit a sore spot _?"_ Mina's light chuckle annoyed Hitomi all the more.

"You wish," Hitomi smirked. With these words, she rose from the bar and grabbed her coat from a rack at the far end of the room. "I'm leaving. See you later!"

Hitomi bid the other girls farewell for the day and left the building at first light. The narrow alleys were full of mist and the air felt damp when she meandered through the streets, pulling the coat around herself tightly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

After walking through the door, the black-haired man ended up in a tavern's abandoned side room. Not as bad as he had feared. The tavern itself was crowded and full of men in various states of drunkenness, so he still had a chance of getting away without being seen. He crossed the room with several strides of his long legs, left the inn unnoticed, and made his way to the merchant district of Pallas. After only a short while of sneaking through dark alleys and narrow side streets, he reached his destination. He quietly knocked on the rear entrance which was opened a crack after a short moment.

"Hello? Who's there?" A low, female voice asked carefully before she recognized the man at the door. Her anxious face immediately changed to show excitement and utter relief. "Van! It was about time you came back!" She cried full of assurance and jumped into his arms. Now the large, feline ears on her head appeared, and her puffy tail swung happily from side to side. "Merle, let go before you suffocate me!", Van chuckled quietly and attempted to gently but firmly push her away. Sighing, he squeezed himself through the small opening with the pink-haired, purring cat girl still attached to him.

"Ah, there you are! Now Merle can finally get some sleep. She hasn't stopped checking the clock since you left," a deep and amused, male voice snickered.

"Dryden! Come on it's not really been that long," Van murmured with slight displeasure in his voice and followed Dryden into the only room with a fireplace. The warmth it emanated was eagerly welcomed by all at this time of the year.

Dryden sat onto the cushions of a large, worn couch in front of the fireplace where the flames were dancing merrily. The comforting warmth already began to seep into Van's tired body.

"Was your mission successful?" The brown-haired man asked curiously, stretching his long legs languidly.

Van glanced at Dryden, shaking his head, crestfallen. "Not in the way I'd hoped. Folken has been seen there, yes, but not in the last few months. I swear I'm going to go crazy soon!" He groaned and slammed his flat hand on the table next to him before slumping down in the armchair closest to the fireplace.

Merle, who had just joined them in the room again and was holding a cup of hot tea in her paws, winced at the sound of it. "I brought you something warm to drink. You must have been freezing on your way here," she mumbled quietly and went rigid when Van covered her hand with his, the warmth of his fingers transferring into hers.

"I apologize. I didn't intend to scare you. Thanks for the drink, Merle." He squeezed her hand, thanking her, before letting go. A tinge of red flushed the feline's cheeks and a small smile appeared on her lips as she quickly averted her gaze and took the empty seat next to Dryden.

Van was like the brother she never had. She had lost count of the many nights she had laid awake in the past, waiting for him to return unharmed. He wouldn't give up on the search for his own brother, Folken, until he found him. She only hoped whatever he found wouldn't upset him, when he finally did.

"He definitely knows how to stay hidden well," Dryden murmured meanwhile, calmly staring into the flames. His intelligent, brown eyes wandered to Van before he added, "Which certainly doesn't apply to you. Next time you go on a mission, make sure no one sees you. Sometimes you are just much too rash in your actions."

Van picked up the reprimanding undertone in his voice which instantly annoyed him.

"I'm very capable of taking care of myself, you know." While he answered, Dryden's eyes were closing at the sound of Van's rebuttal. Van was trying to suppress the feeling of anger welling up in his chest. He indeed was thankful that Dryden had allowed him and Merle to hide here and that he had been taking care of them. Sometimes though, like now, he had to be reminded where his place was. "Van, **I** know that, but don't forget about Merle. She's counting on you." With that, he rose, stretched his limbs again and wished them both a good night before Van could reply again.

Merle glanced at Van, not quite sure what to say. She certainly didn't appreciate it when Dryden made it out as if she was a burden to Van. She wasn't a burden. After all, Merle was the one who had been gathering all kinds of information about Folken's possible whereabouts. However, it was becoming harder and harder to find new leads since the soldiers under Allen Shezars command were beginning to be more careful. Her men had had huge difficulties finding worthy leads as of late.

One of Van's deep sighs brought her back to the current situation. Merle looked at him emphatically. "What is it, Van?" She questioned and advanced on him slowly. Her arms wound themselves around his neck in an awkward half-hug while she purred into his ear. "You'll find your brother eventually. I'm sure of it. Perhaps he's going to come back on his own if he realizes that you're looking for him."  
When he simply continued to sit still in the armchair without returning her embrace, her heart fell a bit. She was used to him not reciprocating physical contact. Nevertheless, she wanted to support and help him as well as she could.

While she thought about this, Van's arms found their way to her shoulders. Merle winced a bit at the soft touch, her eyebrows rising suspiciously since she had expected for him to push her away.

"Thank you, Merle. I'm sorry you are exposing yourself to danger every time you go outside. You don't have to do it, you know?"

He turned his head to face her and his auburn eyes connected with her cobalt ones. It caused her knees to go soft. Her ears flattened against her head and she averted her eyes.

"I don't want to be useless, that's why I'm glad that I'm able to help. I wouldn't be alive anymore if it wasn't for you." She tightened her hug a bit before finally letting go.

Merle then wrinkled her nose in displeasure and mumbled: "You smell like perfume and ill repute, by the way."

* * *

After a nice walk through the misty streets in the morning hours, Hitomi opened the door to her room and entered. It was cold inside, the fire already long dead. Trembling, she put her coat away and began the process of lighting a new fire. When she was done, Hitomi grabbed a few warm blankets and sat in front of the crackling flames to warm herself.

She was lost in thoughts. Who had this black-haired man been? What did he have to do with those Abaharaki? Allen hadn't told her anything about them while he was with her. Tired, she pulled her face into a grimace. How she hated him.

While the fire was beginning to crackle soundly, she added more wood before padding to her bed on bare feet and sighed contently as she laid down. As soon as she closed her eyes, she fell fast asleep.

 _Flames raged through the large building in which she now stood. She could feel the heat on her face and looked around, frightened. Where was she? What was happening? Not far from her, she heard frantic screams. "MOTHER, FATHER!" Hitomi dodged the flames and followed the voice, drawn to it despite the danger. Suddenly she lost her footing in a puddle of slippery liquid. While she fell, she saw a red pool of blood in front of her and the empty eyes of a woman with long, black hair regarding her from behind it._

Hitomi was startled from her sleep, soaked in sweat. Shivering all over, she slowly straightened up and dazedly shook her head.

"What the ...," she whispered and sat in her bed, afraid to move. What had she seen? What had this horrible dream been about?

After a few minutes, she had recovered enough to get up. She walked into her bathroom, to the small sink, and drank a few sips of the cold water. When she looked up, she could only stare at herself in the mirror, rooted to the spot.

The only thing she could focus on was the blood. It hadn't been sweat after all. It was on her face, in her hair, on her hands; all over. Her breathing became shallow and fast while her fingers reached for her face, but the blood spread even more when she tried to wipe it off.

Hitomi began to sob, panic fast with eyes glued to the mirror. Suddenly, she tasted the blood in her mouth as well and nearly choked. She couldn't breathe anymore and slowly sank to the ground while dark blood spluttered out of her mouth. Her hand jerked against the ground uselessly as she slowly sank into black emptiness, her dull eyes zoning out into the distance.

 _Once more, she felt the scorching heat on her skin. The empty look of the dead woman with the long, dark hair in front of her struck Hitomi to the core. Quickly, she scrambled to her feet, out of the bloody mess she had found herself in again and hurried on along the hallway. She had to go where the desperate screams were coming from. She knew she had to be fast; otherwise, it would be too late. But for what? Too late for what? Her instincts and bravery drove her forward, through a wall of flames which were scorching her skin and hair in the process. The pain she felt was already excruciating when she finally came into a large hall and spotted a boy who had barely reached adolescence. He was the source of the desperate wails because, amidst all the chaos, he was screaming for his parents to come and save him. Hitomi wiped soot and sweat from her eyes as she approached in a desperate attempt to protect him but suddenly paused. There he was, behind the boy. Younger, but unmistakably, it was him. Silver hair, rust red eyes, and wearing a black cloak. Seeing what he was holding, clenched in one fist, made Hitomi clap her hands over her mouth to muffle a sharp scream._

Again, she awoke; body jerking wildly and sweating. This time she found herself on the floor of her bathroom. The blood! She wanted to get up and almost fell over again, her head pounding and her stomach rebelling. Hitomi looked down and checked her hands, but there was no blood left.

Even when she regarded herself in the mirror, nothing was visible. She slumped against the bathroom wall and took a few calming breaths. What had just happened to her? Why had she suddenly seen the silver-haired man? Had he really held a severed head in his hand while laughing menacingly? Tears flooded her eyes and she shook her head. The little boy ... his black hair had looked familiar to her, but it couldn't be him. Was that little boy really her visitor, but at a younger age? After all, he had wanted to know about this silver-haired man's whereabouts.

After a few more minutes of contemplation, she decided to take a relaxing shower. Her thoughts were on a rampage and didn't get her anywhere. She somehow had to meet this black-haired man again, but she had no clue where to find him.

* * *

Van was in his bed but sleep remained elusive even in the early morning hours. His head was busy processing the past day, especially the events of the night. His limbs were laden when he finally closed his garnet eyes. He put his arm across his forehead in an attempt to suppress the slight throb behind his temples.

So she had really seen him. Folken. His brother. The traitor.

"Folken ..." he whispered. Quiet, suppressed rage spread in him. His hand clenched into a fist and crushed the coverlet within it. Van gritted his teeth. If only he could get his hands on him, but Folken seemed to be one step ahead, always. As soon as he thought he was close, his brother was already gone again and had covered all traces.

Van's disobedient thoughts wandered to the green-eyed woman he had met for the first time last night. Hitomi was her name. Silently, he formed the syllables with his full lips. He remembered her delicate but well-formed figure and smooth, honey-blonde hair. How she had been lounging in her cushions when she looked at him so seductively.

Frustrated, he rolled over in bed and tried to banish her image from his head. He probably needed to visit her again. The thought of it irritated him. Really, he didn't know how exactly she would actually be able to help him and the fact that he had been recognized when visiting this place was definitely bad. Van smirked a bit at the next thought though; he knew the secret passage now.

He allowed himself to think of her one last time before finally slipping into a deep, heavy sleep filled with vivid dreams.

* * *

Allen carelessly tossed his blue uniform coat into a corner near the door. When he finally had arrived at his house, he had immediately gone to his room. It was already late in the morning and the search for the Abaharaki rebel had been unsuccessful. Deeply aggravated, he sat down in a chair and began to think.

If this scum continued to be spotted in Pallas, it would begin to pose serious difficulties. Asturia's king had ordered that all of these traitors were to be arrested and executed without a trial. The Abaharaki caused trouble for the Zaibachian allies and Asturia couldn't allow that. Not after Zaibach had subjugated almost all other countries. Asturia was, thankfully, still a valuable ally to them for now.

Truthfully, Allen felt that they were being infiltrated slowly but surely; not that it bothered him much on a personal level. He had the utmost respect for the commander-in-chief of the Zaibachian armies. Grinning, he remembered when he had found out who the man was, he had almost laughed at the ironic circumstances. He surely wouldn't mind working directly under this brilliant man's command instead, but he had to be patient for now.

When he heard careful, light steps in the hallway making the floorboards creak, he raised his head.

"Allen, is that you?" The soft, female voice sounded tired and fragile. Sighing, he rose and stepped out of the room into the hallway.

"Celena! Please sleep a little longer while you can.", He admonished her. The young woman's pale blue eyes were dull with weariness and sadness. "Everywhere…the red eyes ... they are following me ... I can't rest anymore, they will hunt me again if I fall asleep ...," she sobbed and threw herself into his arms.

Allen's bad conscience was nagging at him again. In order to gain Zaibach's trust, he had had to entrust his sister to the commander-in-chief; that was the condition. His only sister.

So far, he hadn't been filled into their strategic plans and he also didn't know what was being done to Celena during her time with this man. They were granted only a few and short visits with each other where she was allowed to spend time at their house.

Allen saw her appearance change each time she came home. She was growing paler, weaker and she was starting to be less aware now, too. As if they were slowly taking her life from her. However, everything had a price and Celena had readily agreed to his plan in the beginning. But sometimes ... sometimes, like at this moment, there was a tinge of regret inside him as to whether his decision had been well enough thought out.

Unfortunately, Allen selfishly deluded himself, it was too late.

* * *

 **A/N: So, that was the third Chapter already. :)**

 **At the beginning I thought there are only few readers, who are interested in this kind of story. But it really means a lot for me to get a few reviews on my story and the (unbelieveable great!) beta-and-translation-work of 40four; showing me that our time is not wasted at all ;)**

 **Therefore, thank you all very much: 40four, thepinkmartini, Miss-Miz and banryuu (I hope you can cope with Allen being a bad guy for a while... ;D)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The alcohol was burning its way down her throat, comfortably numbing everything in its wake. Hitomi was sitting at the bar at work with Mina's big blue eyes staring her down inquisitively.

"What?" Hitomi asked her friend a bit unnerved. She was way too exhausted for Mina's spiel since she had been trying to sleep all day rather unsuccessfully. Her head had been too filled with the strange events that had occurred hours ago and the strange, violent dreams she had had. Not to mention her near-death experience where she had almost choked on a stream of blood rushing up from her own throat. She still wasn't sure if it had even really happened.

Hitomi's mood was decidedly not the best. It was a good thing that in these early evening hours there were only a few customers present and none of them had been interested in her so far. Sometimes, fate was in her favor.

"You're not looking good at all, Hitomi. What's bothering you? …and stop drinking so damn much!" Mina scolded firmly, with a hand resting on Hitomi's shoulder and squeezing it, albeit gently. Still worried, she watched Hitomi pour another glass of whiskey and empty it in one large gulp, as if to annoy her. Sometimes, her green-eyed friend was unbelievably stubborn.

Hitomi turned to look at Mina with a sour face but chose to say nothing. Instead of telling Mina that she was all grown up and could take care of herself, she decided to keep the comment to herself and simply got up. Slowly, she climbed the stairs which lead to the rooms upstairs without so much as looking back at her concerned friend.

Telling Mina about her little audience with the Red Madame wasn't an option. Of course the mistress had already known about the black-haired man who had been with her last night. She had nearly drowned in an endless stream of questions about him. Hitomi hated that she had had to lie to her. Without the Red Madame, she would have ended up alone, lost on the streets, or probably dead already; this much was for certain. But something also told her that she couldn't give away anything she knew about the man. It had caused her to refrain from admitting that she had let him escape through the secret passageway which only was to be used in extreme circumstances. Extreme circumstances most certainly excluded helping rebels get to safety.

Having rested on her cushions only for a few minutes, Hitomi was startled as her door opened quite abruptly and without the person on the other side troubling themselves with politely seeking permission. Quickly, she got up and regarded her visitor with attentive eyes. When she saw who it was, she put on a practiced, beautiful smile to acknowledge him.

"Allen! It's an honor you're visiting me tonight," she greeted him and gracefully rose from the bed. "What can I do..."

Hitomi's words were cut off when he roughly crushed his lips against hers and squeezed her body firmly against his own. Quickly and obediently, Hitomi resigned herself to his desires, though her mind was revolting. His skilled hands found the buttons which held her dress together in the back and ripped it off her carelessly. He swooped her up in his long arms as if she weighed nothing at all, crossed the few steps to the bed in fast strides and unceremoniously deposited her on it. After removing his uniform, he quickly climbed on top of her; the weight of his body pushing her deep into the pillows of the large bed.

His tongue and teeth soon were everywhere, licking and nipping their way across her body. Hitomi barely suppressed a yelp of pain when he bit down on her right nipple so hard it hurt. His hands then trailed along the curve of her hips and down to her buttocks. She closed her eyes without meaning to and suddenly found herself imagining a certain black-haired man doing these things to her instead, but in a way she could find enjoyable.

While the blond knight kissed her with brute force and placed himself at her opening, she was so captured in her fantasies that the pure excitement of it caused her cheeks to flush a deep red. However, having created these ideas couldn't save her from the present. The knight grabbed her chin roughly and forced her to join him back in the real world. Hitomi opened her eyes and locked them with his icy blue ones. "You know well enough that I want you to look at me," he panted while beginning to move into her. Hitomi blinked a few times. How could she have allowed herself to think of the stranger instead of doing what she was supposed to? This wasn't like her at all, she mused. Hitomi adjusted her hips slightly and began to move with him, ensuring that he would get the most pleasure out of it.

It wasn't that she enjoyed being what she was, but she had resigned herself to this life a long time ago. Resisting just made everything worse and if she played along, the men were satisfied and left sooner than later. There wasn't much she hadn't been made to do over the years and Allen at least didn't have any strange preferences other than wanting to hear his name coming from her lips as often as possible when he was with her.

It didn't take long for him to reach the peak; Hitomi's skills made sure of it. She felt him come inside of her hard and pulled his face close so her lips could reach it. Softly, she kissed his cheeks, nose, and temples just the way he liked it, while he was still a bit caught in the afterglow. When Allen claimed her lips once more, the image of the black-haired man popped up in her mind again and she intuitively filled the kiss with all her passion.

After a while, the knight released her and just stared into her eyes as if searching for something. Without a word, he rose quickly and dressed himself. He glanced at her while buckling his belt, seeing that she was still stretched out on the cushions, her green eyes watching his every move from under thick lashes.

His eyes found the red marks he had afflicted upon her body and grinned a bit, obviously satisfied. "Until next time, sweetheart." The knight promised her, giving her one last, firm kiss and left the room.

Hitomi then curled up on the bed and sighed heavily. Why was this happening to her? What had she done to the Gods to torture her like this? Hitomi didn't understand. The black-haired man haunted her even during work hours now. She had to behave and lay low if she didn't want to attract more attention in the near future.

Hitomi already heard the maids draw a bath in the small washroom connected to her chambers. The idea of hot, cleansing water gave her an incentive to move, so she finally got up and entered the bathroom. Slowly sinking into the bath water which was scented with rich sage oil, she felt her muscles begin to unknot.

* * *

His sweaty hands were crumpling the bed sheets mercilessly. Given the intimate situation, Van was unable to mute the little sighs and moans coming from the depths of his throat.

In his dream, he was with her. Her shapely body was pressed up against his, perfectly fitting there in every way. He felt the sensations of her soft fingertips tenderly caressing his chest and stomach. Velvety lips caressed his every muscle and his whole body was tense in expectation of her next move. All the while, his hands were traveling across her soft curves, one of them wandering up into her smooth hair.

With the other, he gently traced the swell of her breast and heard her sigh in response to his gentle caresses. Encouraged by her reaction, he flipped her over so he was above her, his fingers brushing across her body more firmly, searching their way down her stomach painfully slowly. He inhaled deeply, taking note her scent which was a mixture of sage, perfume and something heavenly only she could smell like.

It was intoxicating, driving him wilder and more fervid by the minute. Van's auburn eyes were watching her face intently while his fingers neared her center. He was proudly aware of the red flush on her cheeks and smirked. When his fingers were about to enter her and her hips eagerly pushed against his hand, he heard a soft knock somewhere in the back of his mind.

Stubbornly choosing to ignore it, he wanted nothing more than for his dream to continue but more knocks sounded through his head, much louder and insistent this time.

Van was torn from his lucid dream rather abruptly, finding that he was indeed very disappointingly alone amongst the messy sheets. The door was already swinging open, which left him little time to cover his body's very obvious state of arousal. Merle was by his side already, looking very perturbed.

"Van, is everything alright? I heard noises coming from your room and wanted to be sure that nothing's wrong." She then sat down on his bedside in search of one of his hands to hold, but Van couldn't even meet her eyes under the current circumstances. He simply turned to the side, facing away from her and towards the wall while pulling the sheets over his head.

"It's nothing, Merle. I just had a very strange dream...", he mumbled into the covers. The shame was blatantly plastered across his face when it turned a deep shade of red. What was wrong with him? Never had he dreamt about such things until now.

"Are you sure everything's fine?" Merle asked again timidly and laid a hand on his shoulder on top of the coverlet.

"Yes, I already said that!"

She winced a bit at the sound of Van's harsh voice and then again when he gruffly shook her hand off. A bit troubled, she finally left the room, but not without telling him that dinner was ready.

Van shook his head angrily and was instantly upset about his behavior. Merle had done nothing wrong and he was acting like a complete fool when she had only been concerned about him. However, in that delicate moment right after waking from such a dream, he just didn't want her around. This evil green-eyed siren ... damn her. She had infiltrated his mind and he found himself utterly helpless. He was aware of her beauty and the fact that her green eyes seemed to be capable of penetrating his very soul, but that wasn't the only reason she haunted him so much. Lust wasn't his only connection with her. When he thought about this, a rush of shivers made his body shake.

"That's enough!" He determined and wearily forced himself out of bed. A cold shower surely would help him think more clearly again.

* * *

Said green-eyed woman was at the bar again after her hot bath, feeling somewhat refreshed until somebody else entered the building. Involuntarily, Hitomi felt her body freeze when it suddenly felt much colder, as if an icy hand had wrapped itself around her mind.

Slowly, she turned her head and her eyes widened in shock. There he was; the man from her dreams. Behind him stood a mystical woman and she was definitely not entirely human. Her ears were long and pointed at the end and her impossibly long hair a silver-grey color. Her eyes were grey too, with a blue tint. The woman searched the room and finally rested her gaze on Hitomi. An uneasy feeling instantly overcame her. She had to get away. Immediately.

At this very moment, the tall man looked at her. His stare made her body and mind go numb as he strode towards her. Hitomi knew that she had missed her chance to escape. The cold glare in his rust red eyes made her tremble and she flinched when he reached for her hand. Heart beating rapidly in her chest, she could do nothing to resist as he forced her to follow him.

What did he want with her and why was he here again after all this time? Hitomi's mind screamed for her to run as fast and far as she could, but there was nothing she could do to get away from his vise-like grasp.

He stopped at her mistress's door and knocked. Patiently, he waited for her invitation. The man then strode in and loomed across from the Red Madame. Her presence was magnificent in her own way due to her fiery red, curly hair and expressive eyes, as she calmly acknowledged the visitor.

"Ah, General Folken. Long time no see! Thank you for coming so quickly. I see you've found Hitomi already." While speaking, she glanced in Hitomi's direction and her lips became a thin line after she finished.

"What's going on here?" Hitomi cried, confused, and finally managed to free her hand from that of the silver-haired stranger who had still been holding it tightly.

"You know there is nothing I hate more than lies. You of all should know it best and still, you dared to lie right into my face without even batting an eye, so these are the consequences of your behavior. General Folken has been interested in you since the very first time he came here, but I promised somebody to keep you out of trouble, to feed you and to not give you away. That's why I didn't sell you to him when he asked. However, lying to me about sheltering a rebel in my place and endangering the rest of the girls...," the Red Madame looked at her with a mixture of anger and distrust and shook her head, making her red curls dance around her face.

Hitomi's eyes went wide when she realized, what she was telling her. Her whole body began to tremble violently. "You don't mean that! Please tell me you don't! Let me stay, I beg you! I'll never ever lie to you again, I swear it!" She cried with tears in her desperate eyes. She had already made her peace with having to live this life until the end, but being sold, especially to this man, was entirely different.

A cold shiver traveled across her spine at the thought of being owned by a man. She didn't want to know what exactly he would do to her. She didn't want to find out. When men bought women, it usually meant they liked to damage them beyond what was acceptable.

"No." Her mistress simply said and averted her gaze. "You disobeyed my orders for the last time. You are in General Folken's possession now and there is nothing I can or want to change about it."

Her world shattered to pieces at precisely this moment. How foolish had she been to believe her lies wouldn't eventually work against her. Folken's red eyes rested on her, completely devoid of emotion. She only marginally noticed that he hadn't said a single word yet.

Hitomi panicked and her desperate body reacted on its own when it prompted her to run. She rushed out of the room, into the hallway, down to the bar and roughly pushed some men out of her way in the process. The girls called after her, entirely confused, and she didn't even notice Mina among them, calling Hitomi's name with panic in her voice. She had to get away as fast as she could.

As soon as she burst outside through the doors, she heard a soft melody in her head. The magical power of it hit her with an uncanny force. Her muscles became laden, not obeying anymore, and her eyelids grew heavy. She realized, with horror that she was collapsing on the cold, wet cobblestone street as her body had ceased to obey her. Her mind now too grew rigid and succumbed to the song as it was pulled into a dark state of nothing...

 _„Win tain a lotica,  
En valturi, silota…"_

* * *

 **A/N: I can't say it often enough: Thank you very much for your precious time and your great work in** ** **reading** and ******editing** my translation, 40four! :D **

**I've already said it at the beginning of the story; I'm from Germany, therefore I know that my English isn't that good, but I like it to thank every reviewer here in public, so you'll simply have to live with it (muha) ;D  
**

 **Banryuu: Thank you for your kind words! I hope I can get the best things out of the movie and series and puzzle it together in my own story. :)**

 **Miss-Miz: All praise to 40four! She has (as always) made great edits in the previous chapter and helped a lot to make it more dramatic ;)  
** **thepinkmartini: We'll see if Allen really stays a bad guy ... I'm not sure what he really wants. He develops a life of his own** ** **sometimes** and doesn't listen to me xD**

 **40four: Thanks for giving a review every now and then, even though you don't have to :) I always appreciate it a lot! Next time, I'll wait for you with a cup of tea ;D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

"Van! Folken was seen at the brothel again just earlier! "

Van heard Merle's high pitched scream while finally having had the chance to enjoy a late dinner, even before she bolted into Dryden's kitchen. Almost choking on the bite of food halfway down his throat, Van barely registered what she had just said.

"You sure?" He asked, shocked and already getting up while chewing his last bite hastily when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be rash again, Van," Dryden instantly tried to calm him. "Since yesterday night, the soldiers have a pretty good idea of what you look like. Just in case you've already forgotten." His brown eyes were calm, attempting to cool down Van while continuing to speak in a composed manner. "We have to make sure nothing can happen to you. You're too important. That's our top priority at the moment."

Merle glanced back and forth between Van and Dryden. She felt the sudden tension in the air and flattened her ears against her head with a small frown on her face. "Dryden, it's very hospitable that you worry so much about Van on top of everything you've been doing for us, but he knows quite well how to take care of himself. Besides, it's already dark outside so there shouldn't be too big of a threat, don't you think…?"

A sudden bang interrupted her speech when the back of Van's chair hit the floorboards, having been pushed over by his abrupt movement. Merle clearly saw the pulsing vein on his neck and ducked towards the door, ready to escape a sudden outburst, should it be necessary. She knew exactly just what he was capable of if he so desired.

"I'm still going to the brothel to check! I have to, Dryden. Don't you understand? Merle already said it quite well. We appreciate everything you're doing and your concern about my well-being, but that doesn't mean you can tell me what and what not to do!"

Van ** _'_** _s_ deep voice boomed through the room, similar to a thunderous rumble. He was furious; not only because of Dryden **'** s pointless attempt at keeping him inside the house and Folken, who really had terrible timing appearing out of nowhere. He was also furious about his own stupidity and carelessness which he had exhibited previous night.

"I just need to reach Boris' tavern by the shipyard. There is a secret passageway leading into the brothel." That said, Van disappeared into the hallway and, with long fast strides, upstairs into his room. Two daggers were concealed inside his boots while the sword in the corner remained in its place, as it had been for a while. After only a few minutes, Van was back in the hallway and nearly collided with Merle in his hurry while pulling on a brown jacket, not paying adequate enough attention to his surroundings.

"Van, please promise me to be careful. Fiore saw a whole bunch of soldiers patrolling the streets earlier. Allen's men have been more watchful than ever…" She whispered and averted her gaze to the ground. Van's eyes softened as he noticed the worry in her voice and lifted her chin with his long fingers.

"I promise I'll come back to you, just like always." Merle's cheeks flushed lightly as Van smiled at her affectionately. He briefly squeezed her shoulder in a reassuring gesture before passing her.

Heavyhearted, blue eyes followed his steps downstairs while her ever attentive cat-ears heard the soft click of the back door as it closed. Merle joined Dryden who was still sitting in the kitchen. His face was full of concern as he mumbled: "He will get into a load of trouble if he just keeps running off like that."

Sighing heavily, Dryden got up and shambled towards his study with heavy steps. Once there, he took a deep breath, lowered himself on the chair by his study desk and turned his attention to the reports his spies had sent over the course of the day.

Reading about Zaibach's frequent and bizarre activities as of late, caused his stomach to twist.

Dryden was aware of the ultimate plans fabricated by Zaibach's mastermind, Folken, thanks to Van: The complete destruction of Gaea by turning everything to dust and rubble. With that done, Folken hoped for an opportunity to start anew. If he and anybody else managed to survive the mad undertaking, that was. Therefore, Dryden had founded the Abaharaki a few years ago in hopes of somehow saving Gaea. Preventing this insane future was their main and only objective.

Dryden was also positive that without the legendary dragon armor, they wouldn't stand a chance of succeeding with their operation. Still, he had to be at least a bit pleased. The supposedly lost, youngest prince of Fanelia and, by virtue of his heritage, one of the only possible pilots of said dragon armor, had found his way to him on his own. Fate had indeed been in his favor, just this once.

Avoiding further dark thoughts, he picked up an ancient vellum scroll nearby to study it, like so often. It held the only clues hinting at what could be done to prevent the dark days that lie ahead of them. His intelligent, brown eyes focused on the document in his hands.

 _„_ _In the darkness, the dragon wakes.  
To a cold heart, the dragon takes.  
With you at my side, the dragon sleeps.  
On dragon wings, our wishes leap."_

Dryden had been thinking about these words for a long time now. However, what exactly they meant still eluded him. Was it simply a legend or truly going to become reality soon?

Van had already been looking for the damn dragon armor nearly his whole life. Ever since the destruction of Fanelia, he had been hunting for it and even after all this time they had not one reliable report about its possible location. Van was convinced that his brother knew more about its location and that's why he wanted so badly to find him, he said; as if that was his only reason. To prevent Folken from using it.

Dryden snorted in a rather undignified way while having this thought. He damn well knew that if Van ever found his brother, the man wouldn't be alive long enough to answer any questions. After all, Van's very own brother was responsible for the destruction of Fanelia.

Shaking his head with a slight frown on his face, he read the lines again in an attempt to pull some fresh information out of it which could help them…

* * *

 _"Fin tein a loluca_  
 _en dragua selain..."_

Hitomi woke from a dreamless slumber and to the sound of a soft melody. Still dreadfully tired, she forced open her laden eyelids and found herself in a dark room. Blinking a few times, her clouded vision gradually became clearer and clearer.

Only ploddingly, she gained back her memory of the last hours. Looking around the room, Hitomi realized, with no small measure of panic, that this intimidating man whose name was Folken had indeed taken her away, had bought her from the Red Madame. Hitomi hadn't thought that her life could become much worse. Now, she wasn't so certain anymore. She laid on a small plank bed and there was only a very simple dresser in one of the corners of the sparsely furnished, small room. Then, a window on the other side caught her attention and as she noticed that there was nothing outside but the dark sky and twinkling stars, she jumped up and stumbled over to it.

"Oh no…," she whispered with a hand on the window frame. Hitomi was high up in the sky and underneath her, far below, the city of Pallas.

Hearing quiet steps outside her door, she turned around. After that, a soft knock followed. When nobody let themselves in, as Hitomi had expected, she opened the door warily and peered outside. In front of her stood the woman with the long, pointed ears and silver-grey hair. The woman's elegant but serious face showed no emotion, her blue eyes regarding Hitomi sternly.

"I am Sora. My Master, General Folken, wishes to see you as soon as you are awake, which you are now."

Sora stepped aside and motioned for Hitomi to leave her room. She swallowed lightly and felt the looming danger all around her while following Sora through the dark hallways of the flying fortress.

"Would you tell me where we are?" Hitomi asked timidly.

Sora glanced at Hitomi over her shoulder, eyes lowered a bit. She clearly noticed the young woman's tense body. Her bright, green eyes were full of fear and Sora already felt sorry for Hitomi because she knew exactly what was ahead of her.

"We are inside one of Zaibach's flying fortresses," she answered finally, her gaze locked on the way in front of her again

The women passed a row of soldiers with stoic faces walking in single file and looking straight ahead and continued on until they met a man clad in red armor.

"Don't tell me that this is the witch who caused the whole turmoil?" He exclaimed in a mocking tone.

Hitomi could only stare at him and flinched when she met his blood red eyes. She scanned his body quickly. It was definitely that of a man but his voice sounded suspiciously like that of a woman; how very confusing and alarming at the same time.

"Dilandau. Get out of our way so I can escort our guest to General Folken without any delay." Sora attempted to avoid him and was about to pass the soldier but the man grabbed her by the arm and pushed her against the wall quite violently.

"You're such a sassy little thing, aren't you? As if you could really bother me. I could kill you with the mere flick of a wrist, do you even realize that?" He grabbed her chin tightly to emphasize his point and pressed her even more against the wall.

"Dilandau!"

A sharp, cold voice interrupted Dilandau's actions, much to his dismay. Eyes shut and with a sadistic grin plastered on his face, he let go of Sora and turned towards the fourth person in the hallway.

"Folken! What a nice coincidence." Dilandau said while his grin widened into a fake grimace. Folken only locked eyes with him briefly and raised his hand. In an instant, the face of the soldier, only moments ago confident and proud, turned into an expression of excruciating pain and a long, piercing cry of pure agony filled the hallway.

Hitomi could only watch all of this in pure horror. What was going on? She didn't understand what Folken was doing. Her eyes lingered on the red soldier as he crumbled into a pitiful heap on the ground, still whimpering in pain.

The cries ebbed at the same time as the hand of the General fell back to his side and approached the women as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"You need to excuse his bad behavior. Dilandau sometimes is not quite himself..." A sharp glance at the soldier in question caused him to crawl out of sight as fast as he could.

Hitomi's stomach plummeted to her knees when she realized what this man could do to her. She wasn't even a member of his crew. She was just a woman; purchased to do with as he pleased. A cold shiver ran down her spine as the General began to move and Sora followed him silently, without command.

Hitomi wasn't sure which man to fear more now. This soldier in red definitely scared her. He possessed an evil aura and all her alarm bells had gone off instantly when seeing him. Was he now a man or a woman? Then, this grotesque interaction between him and Folken. The General hadn't even touched him, yet the soldier had seemed to suffer under an incredible amount of pain until he had been released from whatever was causing it.

Hitomi didn't even have the sense to pay attention to the way they were taking. Having seen something like this had squashed all will to entertain an escape for the foreseeable future.

The general tore her from her thoughts as he led her into a large, dark room.

"Come in here, Hitomi".

His deep voice clouded her senses and she instantly felt the icy claws on her mind again. Hitomi's legs moved without her permission _,_ leading her into the dark. Only a few small candles with blue flames in the far corners illuminated the room.

Her feet stopped in the middle of the room where Folken was waiting for her. He looked at her and his rust-red eyes bound her mind to his will.

"You feel the change too, don't you?" He asked almost softly.

"What... what do you mean?" Hitomi wanted to step back and shake herself out of this stupor she was in, but he grabbed her chin and forced her to look only deeper into his eyes.

"You have to look...closely"

His mind bent her will and caused her pupils to widen, almost entirely displacing the bright green iris around it.

 _"Vi fa-ru les shutai,  
en riga-lint..."_

* * *

Van carefully snuck through the streets. He moved in and with the shadows to avoid the watchful soldiers patrolling past him, just how he had learned to do it a long time ago. Sometimes it seemed like that had been another lifetime entirely.

Slowly but steadily, he approached Boris' tavern, which he had discovered only this morning. Once there, he entered with little hesitation. The tavern was already well frequented, with many fishermen and merchants present who were busy enjoying Asturia's delicious wine.

However, Van had no time for alcohol and slipped through the maze of people towards the inconspicuous-looking, wooden door in the empty side room. He glanced around to assure nobody was watching him and quickly vanished through the door.

There was nobody in the small chamber he had entered and the hatch in the ground was only noticeable for him because he had used it before. Quickly, he pried it open, jumped into the passageway below, and began to jog in order to reach his goal as quickly as he could.

At the thought of meeting the green-eyed woman, Hitomi, again, he felt a slight bit apprehensive. Surely, she would be able to tell what he had dreamed of only a few hours ago just by looking into his face, would she?

The mere thought of it got him uncomfortably hot again. Damn it, he was behaving like an immature teenager and now was definitely no time at all for that!

After the long way through the tunnels, he arrived in the basement which held the brothel's liquor reserves. Hardly there, two female voices drew near, indicating that somebody was approaching. He hastily ducked behind a row of barrels and disappeared into the shadows.

"Did you hear what I just said? He bought her! I don't know what suddenly got into the Red Madame to sell her best woman. What could Hitomi have done to annoy her this much?" Van heard one of the two voices whisper so squeakily it hurt his ears.

"Rumor has it, she helped that Abaharaki rebel escape from here, don't you know? The Red Madame was so angry with her that she sold her to this really intimidating man who's been wanting her for quite a while. It wasn't just anyone either. It was Zaibach's General."

A cold shiver cast along Van's spine. Sold to Zaibach? This was bad. He desperately hoped it was a bad joke...

"Is that really true? Was he that silver-haired man who's been here from time to time? Is that why he always came to see the Red Madame? To try and buy Hitomi?"

While the women were still chatting, Van had to keep himself from jumping out of his cover and demanding more information. He truly could not explain why the fact that the green-eyed woman had been sold off upset him so much. He hardly even knew her at all. Nonetheless, if Folken wanted her this badly, she had to be important. This only caused more hate towards his brother to fill him. His brother, the miserable traitor...

"Yes, that's the one! He must have been negotiating with the Red Madame about Hitomi already before. Until now, she's been far too profitable to sell her, but you know that the Red Madame hates the Abaharaki ..."

While talking, the women had poured wine into a small barrel, which they now carried upstairs. Van sat in his hiding place for a while longer, crouched low and pondering. Coming here had been mostly in vain because his brother was already long gone. Again. On the other hand, he had learned something new after all.

He remained silent for a while before returning by means of the long, dark series of passageways. How could he possibly locate Zaibach now? He had to get to Folken. If Folken wanted Hitomi he needed to get her back, Van had to admit grudgingly. Only then, he could find out the reason for why she was worth Folken's attention.

Besides, Van simply couldn't allow her to remain in the clutches of Zaibach. Therefore, he had to get her out of his brother's possession as fast as possible. The more complicated part of this plan was, how would he be able to find her?

During the whole trip back he was already weighing the possibility of several options but rejected them all.

* * *

 **A/N: Though it's taken a longer time than usual, this was the 5th chapter of the story. Hope you enjoyed it :)**  
 **As always, many thanks to wonderful 40four for beta-reading it :)**

 **And to all of you reviewers: Thank you, thank you, thank you! It's already late at night, I had a very hard and long day of work. Therefore I'll write to you personally after you reviewed this chapter, be sure of it :)**  
 **But I like to welcome a new face; Tonks. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a review! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

"I need to find her, Dryden. If I find her, I will find **him!** "

In the meantime, Van had come back to Dryden's' house and told them everything he had overheard before. Even Fiore was there this time, taking his usual spot in the background and listening quietly to the ongoing conversation between his companions.

"If what you say is true, your brother has probably been interested in her for a really long time already. Therefore it's possible that she is vital to his mission in a way we don't know yet. In this case, I'm agreeing with you. We need to rescue her in order to find out what part she is meant to play here. One problem though…we don't have a clue how to find her." Dryden ended his long-winded summary.

His head was braced on the palm of his hands while he diverted his gaze to the large map in front of him. It nearly covered the entire wooden table and depicted the city of Pallas, including its outskirts.

Van raked impatient fingers through his raven black hair and sank into the chair next to Dryden, exhaustion clearly visible in his garnet eyes. He was tired and frustrated. Thanks to their inexperience with search and rescue missions, they had discussed the whole thing without avail.

Perhaps it was mental exhaustion but Van was at the point where desperation threatened to get the best of him. No matter what all he had attempted in the past, his brother was always out of reach and one step ahead of them. Van closed his eyes and massaged his aching temples.

Merles' pitiful glance went unnoticed.

"Van, we'll find Folken no matter what. I know it…", she whispered softly and gazed towards Fiore in expectation.

"I know a way to get into Zaibach's hideout. Probably even their Flying Fortress which is unreachable on foot." Fiore's soothing baritone filled the otherwise silent room and the eyes of a certain feline softened a bit at his tone. So the man had formed a plan in his head during the past few hours after all.

A tired gaze out of Van's deep, red eyes found him with a glint of new hope before it was diverted to Dryden.

"Dryden, what do you think? How much time is left?", Vans' voice echoed quietly through the room.

Dryden straightened back up in his chair, his eyes trained on the ceiling.

"As if I'd know. Zaibach's plans are really a mystery at the moment. Their activities in the conquered countries are near zero, but Pallas is being heavily controlled lately – without the king being aware, of course – and who knows what they are up to next." The brown-haired man frowned and grabbed his chin in deep thought.

"If I might interject here. We've detected a pattern when it comes to Zaibachians infiltrating Pallas. As far as I'm aware, the next squad will arrive tomorrow in the late afternoon. If we can follow the soldiers back out of Pallas, we just may be able to get to the Flying Fortress. I have a strong hunch that Folken will be there. It could work, in theory at least." Fiore explained with a quite sincere tone while looking into Van' expectant eyes.

"Well, that sounds fairly promising, don't you think Dryden?" Replied Van, full of hope and with a careful smile on his lips.

"Now wait a minute," Dryden intervened, "have you even considered how you intend to follow the soldiers and how exactly to get into the Flying Fortress without being seen? Besides, I really don't think that you can simply stroll into Folken's Fortress, rescue the girl and get away without a proper plan in place or any help at all. Or do you already have one of which we aren't privy to yet?"

Van rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest.

"I'll just have to think of something when I get there," he then mumbled after a brief hesitation.

Merle shook her head in disbelief.

"Dryden's right, Van. We need a solid plan, otherwise, you can just hand yourself over on a silver platter immediately."

That last comment made Fiore's ears prick up. "You know, that's actually not a bad idea," he murmured quietly.

"Excuse me, what?!" Merle cried in desperation and shot him a quite flabbergasted look. "You wouldn't seriously consider doing that, would you?"

The man winced at her voice, which progressively transitioned from shock to anger while her impeaching gaze weighed heavily on him. Nevertheless, he dared to nod.

"You're right. If Zaibach got ahold of Van, they would gladly take him into Folken's Fortress."

"What makes you so sure about that? They might just as well decide to execute him in the streets as an example. He's a member of the Abaharaki after all. They hate us. Have you forgotten about that?! We can't be sure that they will even bring him into the fortress!" Merle sauntered up to Fiore but then abruptly pushed him hard against the wall behind his back. "That stupid plan is pure insanity! Simply foolish! For Gaea's sake, even I can't think of the right words for how idiotic that idea of yours really is!"

Her furious tirade was cut short by Van's sobering voice and hand on her shoulder, pulling her away from poor Fiore.

"Merle, calm down. That's enough." She shot him a hurt look, but it went by unnoticed again. Instead, Van's gaze was fixed at Fiore. "Let's do it. Just tell me when and where."

"Van...," Dryden got up and carefully walked towards him. "How are we supposed to get you out of the Fortress if anything goes wrong in there?"

Dryden only earned a sly grin from Van.

"Don't worry about that. Being under pressure makes me creative?"

"You're all insane," Merle whispered in the background, pure horror written all over her face. "All of this for some woman you don't even know, without being certain it will even get you to Folken? I don't understand you anymore Van. Why do you always have to be so reckless?"

Only now Van turned around to study Merle's face and saw the glittering tears in her clear, blue eyes. Van did understand what she was so afraid of. She had been like that ever since he had found her a long time ago but he also knew that now was not the right time.

"Please understand, Merle. This is **the** best chance I've ever had to get to my brother, don't you see that? It's the moment we've all been working for these past months!"

The cat-girl closed her eyes in sorrow, her ears flat on her head. "Fine. You're right but this whole so-called plan is a suicide mission if you ask me."

With these harsh words spoken, she left the room. Fiore followed her form with a bit of regret in his eyes. "Merle's concerns aren't baseless," he then spoke. "We'll have to work on some more details before it's time to go out there. We've got a long night ahead of us..."

Dryden and Van nodded in unison. With that said, they surrounded the table once more, finally effectively working on a plan to rescue the mysterious woman and to get to Van's brother in the process.

* * *

She was floating in complete darkness. Ever so slowly, the scent of wet dirt reached her nostrils, along with something pungent, similar to the odor of metal.

Hitomi knew that she had smelled it several times before but wasn't able to place it just yet. Her eyes still remained closed and she dared not to open them.

In the distance, she heard something crackling and then all of sudden felt scorching heat. Her feet reached the ground slowly, the soil underneath her toes felt strangely hot. Fearful of what could be in front of her, she finally opened her eyes only when the stench began to cause a feeling of nausea.

What her eyes landed on then, left her in consternation.

Lifeless bodies, bathed in dark crimson blood. Like a morbid river, it searched its way across the wet earth and pooled around the corpses. In some spots bright flames burned animatedly, disseminating the smell of rotten, burnt flesh.

Hitomi found herself in a stupor, unable to move or even look away. Then she saw something in the background far away. It was gigantic and blacker than the sky at night's darkest hour.

Hitomi's chest tightened watching it just from this distance.

"That's the Escaflowne."

Her heart skipped a beat when General Folken appeared next to her out of nowhere.

"Escaflowne...?" She breathed uneasily.

"Yes." Folken gazed towards the black colossus. "She's a Guymelef - a war machine - and of great importance to our mission. She is the most crucial facilitator of Gaea's perfect future and destiny."

His words were causing a funny feeling inside of Hitomi. Escaflowne...? Something tingled in her mind, though she was sure that she had never heard of it before in her life.

"She is the Goddess of War. Whoever commands her, has the power to seal Gaea's destiny. Ultimate downfall or reincarnation. Death or life. However…", Folken stopped and looked towards the black giant "… she hasn't fully awakened yet. Even we don't know where she is hidden at the moment. It's up to you to fulfill your role as destined by fate."

While he spoke, he glanced at the frightened woman next to him, who stared at him wide-eyed and horror evident in her eyes.

"Why me? I'm nobody special…," she asked perplexed, eyes darting carefully to the Escaflowne once more. Suddenly she felt an ice cold aura, dark magic residing in it, invade her body and soul. It happened slowly but she could clearly feel it's undeniable power. The steel-blue eyes of the Escaflowne kept piercing her with their intensity during the process and when Hitomi's eyes flashed in distress, the Guymelef bend her mighty knee in an obsequious gesture and sank to the ground. The action sent a chill down Hitomi's spine. Escaflowne clearly was waiting for something or someone? Was she waiting for her?

"The mighty Goddess of War needs her soul and pilot to be able to judge our fate. Right now it's our top priority to find her soul and to give it back to her." Rust-red eyes were locked on Hitomi's face, her features turning noticeably more anxious by the minute.

A soul? Why on Gaea did the Escaflowne need a soul? She was just a mechanical suit, after all.

"What does this all have to do with me? I still don't know what you want from me!" Hitomi averted her gaze to the soiled earth beneath her feet.

"That's what I thought."

The General snipped his fingers, causing the scenery to disappear and the dark room from before came back into focus. The woman's eyes were filled with relief while she slowly sank to the ground, utterly exhausted.

"Sora, please bring her back to her room. I'll take care of everything in the meantime until she's ready."

Pale-blue eyes rested on Hitomi's weary figure before Sora carefully drew closer to her.

"Come with me, poor girl…," she then whispered in a soothing voice and reached for Hitomi's shaky hand. Her head felt like it was about to explode any moment and everything around her was fuzzy, threatening to disappear like fog.

Hitomi gripped Sora's hand as tightly as she could and scrambled to her feet so she could follow her out of the eerie room and back into her small chamber. When they finally reached the tiny cot, Hitomi collapsed on it in sheer exhaustion and closed her eyes.

"Do you have a headache?" Sora asked with honest concern and stared at her inquisitively.

Hitomi opened her eyes a bit and nodded carefully. "Yes, it hurts so badly."

Upon hearing this, Sora sat down on the bed and began to softly massage Hitomi's temples, holding her head in her hands. Several moments later the woman's strained features slowly relaxed, a soft sigh escaping her lips when she leaned a little bit more into Sora's cool, soothing hands. Hitomi couldn't ignore the feeling that this mysterious woman was trustworthy despite her allegiance.

"The headache will soon be over. Those visions are incredibly exhausting in the beginning. You've already had one before, haven't you?" Sora added in a low voice, eyeing the woman in front of her suspiciously.

"I'm not sure. It felt more like a very lucid dream. I think I saw something that already happened but the violence scared me the most. When I woke up, I was covered in blood…"

While answering Hitomi's voice quieted to a bare whisper and faded into nothing at the end. The soft massage had lulled her into a healing sleep.

Sora continued her gentle ministrations for a few minutes longer. After she cast a last look at the woman who was now in a deep slumber, she rose and left the room quietly. She knew what lay ahead of Hitomi and she truly regretted it. This woman had an aura about her that was so very different from all the others before her and not only because of her ability to see the visions, like herself.

General Folken had searched high and low to find women who could possibly harbor the soul of the Escaflowne. Sora was the key to finding them through her magic and she helped him willingly. It was her debt to him for saving her from a terrible fate.

Nevertheless, she didn't completely understand all of Folken's motives and moves. He had caused so much and sorrow to so many people over the last years she was unable to remember it all. Now more often than ever, she asked herself whether all the sacrifices were truly worth it. Then again, without him, she would have been dead and buried for a very long time already.

With a deep sigh, she stared out of a small window in the hallway. The soft morning glow was fighting the dark of the night, the first sunrays already appearing at the horizon. This certainly was her favorite hour because she loved the silence and the vulnerability of the sky during the dawn of a new day.

* * *

Allen paced the length of his room in the Shezar mansion. Zaibach had claimed his sister, Celena, again yesterday so he had nobody to confide to. Not that it was really necessary but he couldn't deny the fact that it was calming for him to hear her thoughts about anything that troubled him.

The Zaibach General had bought Hitomi and he had no idea why. What did he want with her? What really upset him most was that he hadn't been informed about it by General Folken. Instead, Hitomi's friend, Mina, had come to the front of his door this very morning, informing him about the events.

What was it with this woman? There was nothing special about her apart from her flawless beauty but that alone couldn't be the reason. So what did the General need her for? It certainly wasn't for his personal pleasure. Mina had told him that Folken had negotiated with the Red Madame for a long time before she finally had given in to Folken's demands. The reason for it all frustrated him even more. How was it possible that Hitomi had dealt with the Abaharaki behind his back? She had even managed to cover one of these dirty rebels while **he** had been with her!

His fist slammed down on a small, wooden table, the throbbing ache not even reaching his furious mind at all. Allen ran his long fingers through his long, blonde hair in an attempt to calm himself. It barely worked. It bothered him immensely that he had missed so many important details. He hated that everybody had been playing games right in front of his eyes without him even taking notice. He simply hated losing control.

Hitomi had fooled him. **She** had fooled **him**. Allen clenched his teeth and a dangerous growl escaped his throat, his blue eyes burning with a cold, intense fury.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the long wait! The last weeks were crazy (and there's no end in sight...), so I didnt' have the time to translate anything. I hope you'll forgive me ;)  
**  
 **Thank you again to 40four for the great editing and to the reviewers of the last chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N are at the end of this chapter!**

 **Chapter 7**

* * *

When Sora met up with General Folken at the command station of the Flying Fortress, she quickly noticed that he was even quieter and lost in thought than usual.

Folken stared through the glass panes of the large windows, stoically observing the city of Palas which lay peacefully beneath them.

"Soon, there'll be nothing at all…", he murmured and closed his expressive, red eyes.

"Lord Folken, are you perfectly sure about all of this?" Sora whispered as she stepped beside him, her pale blue eyes resting on his tired face. They slowly filled with deep sorrow while observing him. Her gaze wandered over his aristocratic face, taking note of the dark circles under his eyes and otherwise exhausted features. Sora knew that he rarely got enough sleep anymore and if he did, nightmares haunted his mind, preventing a much-needed, restful slumber.

Folken opened his eyes again and glanced at her. A wry smile appeared on his face and his fingertips brushed her cheek in a feather-like touch. "Seeing you, I'm almost tempted to change my mind but it has to be this way. Violence is spreading all over Gaea like a festering wound, becoming only worse as time passes. It is impossible for her children to retain the natural order any more. Gaea must burn so she can be born anew."

Tears were collecting in the corner of Sora's eyes but she wouldn't allow them to fall. After a long look into her eyes, Folken strode away, across the bridge towards the alchemy laboratory.

Sora was left behind in a sullen mood. Why was Folken suffering so badly? What had happened to him before they met, that fate felt the need to vex his very soul?

Folken had not asked her to accompany him to the laboratory so she stayed behind, deep in thought. After a while, Sora recognized the clicking of heels under fast strides. A very familiar sound she feared more than anything, which made her turn around quickly in hopes that her sensitive ears had, for once, failed her. To her disappointment, they had not. Her worst nightmare was back on the fortress.

"Ah, there she is. General's Folken's little sweetheart…"

His voice was cold like ice and instantly caused her to shiver in horror. Dilandau's blood-red eyes made Sora freeze where she stood. She was quite unsure what to do while he roughly pushed her back against the glass window. Once again she noticed that his body was that of a man, while his voice and face still held feminine characteristics.

The soldier in the red armor leaned forward and whispered into her ear, his cold breath brushing her neck in the process. "It would be so much fun to push you into the depth beneath us to send you to the dark place you belong in, scum."

Sora felt his teeth at her throat, threatening to break the skin before he snapped them together and grinned. Her eyes were closed tightly and her whole body trembled with fear. Hopefully, someone would walk in on them any moment and interrupt, effectively rescuing her from his grasp before he decided to do something terrible to her. Dilandau knew that Folken nearly watched his every move and didn't tolerate this behavior towards Sora but in some instances, such as at this moment, it seemed that the soldier didn't give a damn about that.

He grabbed her chin roughly which forced her to open her eyes. Seeing the horror in them intensified his grotesque grin and feeling of satisfaction.

Very abruptly, his next move was stopped by a gentle, quiet voice echoing through the command station.

"Commander Dilandau!"

"What is it, Jajuka? Can't you see that I'm busy?"

When his cold fingers released Sora's chin, her knees felt like giving out any moment and her face relaxed in pure relief. Dilandau turned away, glaring at the other soldier who had now reached his side.

"General Folken wishes for us to witness the experiment. The alchemists have already prepared everything and are awaiting us."

Shrill, maniacal laughter escaped the lips of the monster in front of her. "Fantastic! This will be an exciting spectacle. I'm curious about what they've prepared for that whore." That said, he confidently strode towards the exit but before leaving the bridge he glanced back at the silver-haired woman to send her a last, horrific grin. "Certainly this is of interest to you too, isn't it? Seeing another girl going through hell for your beloved General's vision. How many girls are already dead by now? Ten? Or even twenty?"

Sora averted her gaze to the floor near her feet and fought back tears once more. "She's the One. Lord Folken and I are sure of it! It was incredibly difficult to find her and almost impossible to get her." Her words were barely audible but a maniacal laughter answered regardless. The sharp sound of clicking boot heels vanished from the command station and left Sora in her despair.

With a quiet sob, she finally let her tears flow freely. Her thoughts wandered to the many unfortunate girls whose lives had been snuffed out and to those few who hadn't died but were left with a shattered mind, sentenced to live out the rest of their days like that in this cruel world Gaea was. Sora prayed to every single God she knew. She begged them to spare Hitomi of such a fate and prayed that the blonde woman truly was the One. The One they had been searching for so long. The upcoming experimental procedure was pure torture and she could only hope that this woman was made to survive it without serious damage of any kind.

* * *

Rough hands ripped Hitomi from her deep slumber. They grabbed her firmly while loud noises in the hallway outside her room accompanied the commotion.

"Wha… what is happening?" She cried in fear, unsuccessfully attempting to break away from the soldier who was holding her much too firmly.

"Shut up and do as you are told." His harsh answer suppressed any words of protest forming Hitomi's mouth. Her body went rigid when she looked at the man's pale face and focused on eyes which held two different-colored irises.

She only dared to ask, "Where are you taking me?", while the soldier and two other men carelessly pushed her through the dimly-lit hallways towards a yet unknown destination. Where was that kind woman? The one who had been with Hitomi before she fell asleep. Somehow, she had a feeling that the silver-haired mystical creature was the only one here who was on her side, even though just barely.

While desperately scanning the surroundings behind every corner they rounded, Hitomi progressively began to panic more and more. Sora was nowhere to be seen and this concerned her substantially. At present, nothing remained anymore of Hitomi's normally strong and confident behavior. The only thing on her mind was her desire to escape and hide.

The worst thing about her situation was that she had no clue what they were going to do with her. Somehow, she appeared to be important to that General, even though she didn't quite grasp the entire story about the Escaflowne at all. All Hitomi knew was that this so-called Guymelef needed a soul to fully awaken but what did this have to do with her?

The soldiers roughly pushed her along even more hallways and up several flights of stairs until they reached an inconspicuous-looking door which lead into something like a laboratory. Holding her in a firm grip, they entered and the sound of the closing door behind them brought Hitomi firmly back to reality. There was no escaping from here.

Her knees began to tremble but Hitomi commanded herself to quickly get a grip. Instead of continuing to panic even more, which wouldn't help her the least bit in this situation, she began to slowly observe the large room they now were in. A large group of men clothed in long, black coats with high collars was not far from her. In the back of her mind, she noticed that the collars must be so tight it almost strangled them. The majority of the strange-looking men were quite old and mostly bald. While she scanned their appearance, Hitomi noticed the showy red armor of the soldier who had harassed Sora in the hallway the night before.

Returning her stare with a malicious smile, he bit down on his lip until crimson blood trickled down the pale skin of his chin.

Hitomi frowned in discomfort at this display of insanity and averted her gaze to instead rest on the dog-man behind the soldier. While Dilandau was clearly out of mind the junin, by contrast, was gentle-looking and kind and she briefly wondered what business he had with the sort of man standing in front him.

General Folken's cold voice interrupted her thoughts and brought her attention to him.

"Hitomi…," he called out to her and motioned for her to come closer. "Now we will finally see if Escaflowne has hidden away inside of you. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter."

For a short moment, she felt like laughing at him. Cooperation? It didn't appear that she had a choice in this matter, given the armed soldiers circling her.

Folken lead Hitomi to an odd-looking machine with several control panels featuring numerous buttons, toggles, and switches whose purpose completely eluded her. She glanced to a row of large pillars which were connected to these panels. They were made from glass and seemed to be holding a translucent liquid with a green tint.

"What is all of this?" She timidly asked, her stomach was knotted in anxiety and anticipation which caused her voice to tremble with fear. Despite her intent to remain calm and refrain from panicking, she slowly felt herself succumbing to that state again.

"This machine is going to split off the part of your soul which holds the Escaflowne. By doing so, I hope that the Goddess of War will materialize here in our Fortress to fulfill Gaea's destiny."

Folken pushed Hitomi into the waiting arms of two alchemists, who ripped the clothes off her slender frame without care.

"What… no! Stop that! Please, no!" Hitomi cried in horror and attempted to shake their hands off, only to be slapped straight across the face by another soldier. The hard smack caused her ears to ring and black spots to appear in front of her eyes.

Hitomi only registered that she was now completely naked as the men pushed her inside the only empty pillar. She didn't know how they had opened it because her fingers weren't able to find so much as a crack once it enclosed her.

All noises and voices around her were suddenly muffled. The black dots in her view slowly went away while she still blinked rapidly to rid herself of the dizziness which clouded her mind.

All of a sudden, her feet touched something wet and she immediately tried to identify what it was. Her eyes widened in shock when she felt an alien liquid quickly gaining on height around her feet. Within seconds it reached her knees and finally, panic filled her faster than the rising liquid filled the pillar. They were going to drown her and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. Hitomi began to scream. She absolutely didn't want to die in the hands of the crazy Zaibachian General!

On reflex, she desperately started to hammer against the glass, hoping against all odds that it would shatter. Tears were beginning to stream down her face as she sobbed unabashedly. The liquid was rising higher and higher, now already lapping up around her torso. The skin on her knuckles split under the sheer intensity of being slammed against the glass, staining it red in some spots. Hitomi slowly but surely realized that she was doomed.

Through her tear-blurred vision, she finally spotted the silver-haired woman in the background of the room and she began to direct her screams at her. "Sora! Please, help me! …Sora!"

The water now reached her throat, her salty tears mingling with it there.

When Sora saw the fear and panic in Hitomi's eyes, her resolve to continue assisting General Folken with his cause began to falter. She clenched her teeth and shut her eyes. Sora couldn't stand seeing Hitomi suffer and hated herself for being the coward she was. She hadn't helped any of them, though she could have easily done so. Due to this, all of them had suffered and many died. Sora once more prayed to all the Gods to have mercy and for Hitomi to survive. Then, she finally made a decision. She would give her everything to get the girl out of here and somewhere safe, wherever that was going to be.

Hitomi surrendered herself to the cruel situation she was in when the liquid reached her mouth and filled her nostrils shortly thereafter. She closed her eyes and accepted her fate. Her lungs soon began to burn, screaming for air. Her head throbbed wildly due to the lack of oxygen. She wasn't able to stand it in any longer and opened her mouth to breathe the liquid in…

…and, against all odds, was able to breathe freely.

Her eyes opened, widened in shock. How could that be?

While pondering just how she was able to gain oxygen out of the liquid, Hitomi noticed the alchemists working at the control panel in front of her pillar. They were pushing combinations of buttons and wildly adjusting other settings on it while, in the background, the other pillars filled with different liquids began to glow in a strange, blue light.

Again, she was only able to await what was in store for her now, the anxiety threatening to get the best of her.

Two more pillars directly next to hers began to glow and it was only a matter of time for hers to be activated.

Then, there was only searing pain and her world turned black.

Sora heard Hitomi scream in agony even through the thick glass and liquid and watched the woman's body convulse inside the pillar. Electricity coursed through Hitomi's muscles, veins and mind when it began to split off the pieces of Escaflowne's soul from hers.

The silver-haired woman averted her gaze from the horrific scene and began to quietly sing her song, determined to help Hitomi bear the pain.

 _"Win chent a lotica  
En vai tu ri  
Si lo ta_

 _Fin dein a loluca  
Si katigura neuver  
Floreria for chesti  
Si entina..."_

* * *

Sitting in her darkened room, the Red Madame stared at a pink pendant dangling from her hand. Muffled voices from some of her girls in the hallway permeated through the closed door while she was focusing intently on the necklace in front of her. By looking at it, her thoughts wandered, inevitably, to Hitomi who had been her greatest treasure for the past years.

A deep sigh escaped her full lips. She had been right to finally sell Hitomi to the General after he had asked her to do so countless times. Hitomi's betrayal regarding the Abaharaki man had finally convinced her to do so. Nonetheless, the rate of patrons visiting the brothel had dropped a bit since the blonde was gone. It wasn't something that made her worry too much, nor would it compel her to attempt getting her back but there was a perceptible difference without Hitomi around.

The blonde girl's aura made her more exotic and mysterious than the others. What it was exactly, she couldn't define but what the Red Madame definitely knew was that under her care the young, orphaned girl had developed into a graceful creature whose beauty was unparalleled and sought after by many men.

It was precisely this mysterious aura which enchanted the men and occasional women visiting her establishment as soon as their eyes fell upon pure looking Hitomi.

Still watching the pink pendant intently, the Red Madame revisited the day she had taken little Hitomi with her. The matron had given her the pendant after she had ushered the girl into her carriage. "This was the only thing in her possession when she was brought here," the old woman explained and placed it in the Red Madame's open palm.

Hitomi had never asked for it, perhaps having forgotten about it, so she had decided to keep it. It indeed was a fascinating pendant. Sometimes the stone almost seemed to be alive on the inside, the pink color moving in swirls. If the Red Madame concentrated hard enough, she was able to notice a strange whisper in the air. Though it was so quiet that is was nearly impossible to make out, it was undeniably there.

Now, an unexplainable feeling of sorrow and loneliness reverberated in her heart while the Red Madame gazed upon it. She couldn't explain this emotion and while pondering this, she nearly didn't notice that the pendant was beginning to move slowly in a perfect rhythm. With every second, it swung from side to side, without an outside force acting upon it.

She stared at it, puzzled, unsure about whether to discard it in shock or to keep it. How could this be? She hadn't moved so much as a finger while holding it. Just as she ended this thought, the stone began to pulse in a dim, blue light. It gradually changed in color and intensity with every passing second until the pendant shone in a light so bright it nearly blinded her… only to finally disappear in a small pillar of blue light. It seemed like the decision was not destined to be hers.

Baffled, she sunk deep into her chair, staring at her now empty hand. What in all of Gaea had just happened…?

* * *

Van and Fiore had been sneaking along the shadows of the narrow alleys for some time already. They were only slowly getting to the area Fiore had strategically selected for their spiel and by now feared that they wouldn't make it in time.

The sun was already low in the sky, drowning the city of Palas in a soft, orange glow.

With worry in his eyes, Van stared into the sky and for a second he imagined seeing a strange flicker between the clouds. He shook his head while the drowsiness of the afternoon heat clung to him stubbornly.

"There they are!" Fiore hissed in front of him. "Ready for our show?"

Van had only time to nod before he was grabbed roughly by the collar and pulled out into the main street, directly into the path of a marching troop of Zaibachian soldiers. He cried out loudly as Fiore pushed him to the ground by a fistful of his hair and angled Van's arm in an unnatural way to prevent him from escaping.

The Zaibachians instantly came to a halt.

Van's head hit the cobblestones rather harshly. He'd make sure Fiore would pay for that later. Clenching his teeth, he spit at the feet of the Zaibachian soldier who loomed above him with a smirk on his lips.

"Now now! What have we here?" He asked while staring at Fiore, wariness in his attentive, grey eyes.

"I hear there's a bounty on his head, so pay up!" A wry smile was on Fiore's lips when he pushed Van further into the dirt by placing his foot on Van's back.

Van fought back a bit, partly for show and partly because Fiore was being **very** convincing. He eased his mind by thinking about how in a real fight Fiore wouldn't stand a chance against him.

The Zaibachian soldier motioned for two of his comrades to collect the man on the ground while reaching for a small coin purse on his belt.

"Nice job. Here's your money. Now piss off before I change my mind and kill you."

Quickly scurrying away and into the protective network of narrow alleys once more, Fiore watched them from afar as they took Van with them. He was shoved in between the group of soldiers, wrists now tied together tightly by thick ropes.

Fiore frowned. That somehow had been way too easy. A sickening feeling spread in his stomach while watching the soldiers retreat with Van.

Van walked with them, barely fighting to escape. The blades of his daggers were warm in his boots as his blood boiled in his veins, screaming at him to kill them all right here and now. On the outside, however, he kept fairly calm and trained his eyes onto the ground to hide the hatred burning in them.

Oh, how he would love to just kill them… his thoughts then wandered to the woman in the fortress and eventually to his brother. His eyes narrowed at once. Him, he would most definitely kill. With or without getting more information about Dryden's prophecy.

He made a mental pact with himself while being taken to a small leviship where they locked him in a completely empty chamber.

Not much later they took off the ground, hopefully en route to the flying fortress where the woman was being held captive.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Finally, it's done. This chapter was especially hard for me to translate; can't say why, though... my hair turned grey by now xD

Therefore, thank you again 40four for your precious and brilliant editing! It's always fascinating to see how you're able to turn my average writing into something like this! *deep bow*

 **And: Thank you all for your kind reviews so far! I often read them to motivate myself while I'm writing (and I'm still fighting with Chapter 12... I really need 40four's muse :) ).**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Hitomi's entire body was being ravaged by excruciating pain. It was everywhere, clutching her muscles like a vise, drilling through her bones, pushing every cell membrane to the limits and even invading her very soul. She felt like her life was slowly being snuffed out in the cruelest of ways. Her mind, however, refused to give up and carefully took control of all the little pieces which were so close to disintegration, strengthening her from the core.

Her voice had given out long ago, the inside lining of her throat raw and sore from all the gut-wrenching screams. After her pleas directed at Sora had gone seemingly unanswered and the mystical woman had been no help in ending the torture, Hitomi was still somehow able to endure this hell she had ended up in, but for how long?

Hitomi's muscles convulsed painfully again, shaking her body in cramps that went through her limbs in waves. Blood pounded in her head which made it feel as though it was close to exploding at any moment.

During this struggle, a soft, ethereal melody began to sneak its way into her head which helped her mind bear the agony her body was in to a great extent. The melody numbed the pain a bit and every time Hitomi consciously took note of it again, the intensity reduced fractionally.

This relief was short-lived because, after a while, the torment intensified again and reached a level far beyond the effects of the melody. It was suddenly worse than ever before, making her lose all bearings. Hitomi was convinced that her end was near. However, as intense as the pain had been just a moment before, it miraculously began to subside, and quickly so.

Muscles which had been shaking in spasms mere seconds ago relaxed in an instant. Her blood circulation normalized and her heart began to beat in a steady, unperturbed rhythm once more, though something was missing in the furthest crevices of Hitomi's mind. There was a new and unfamiliar void she couldn't explain.

While pondering what it was and at the same time being unbelievably relieved that the torture seemed to be over, for now, she noticed an alien warmth resting against her chest. Completely spent and exhausted, she attempted to touch it but her fingers wouldn't obey at all. After slowly opening her eyes and glancing down, she glimpsed a strange pendant glowing in a soft, pink hue.

Again, she tried to touch it but her arms remained stubborn and still at her sides which prompted more anxious feelings. Why weren't her limbs responding?

 _"_ _Please, keep calm. Your body is exhausted but you're not alone anymore…and you will be safe."_

Her eyes widened in disbelief when she heard an unfamiliar voice in her head. The strange pendant pulsed in a soft light along with it.

The young woman's wailing had long since died down while her body was still suspended in the luminous liquid, her limbs quivering in pain and jerking reflexively every now and then. It looked like she had lost consciousness a while ago. The soul-splitting process seemed to continue inside her mind rather than her physical body.

* * *

Sora had already lost track of time since the beginning of the experiment. There was no visible progress anymore and Hitomi's body still showed no signs of either a successful or unsuccessful outcome. Granted, no one knew exactly what a successful outcome would look like. She slowly but surely was giving up hope to see Hitomi survive.

Sora's throat tightened and burned at the thought of losing another girl and part of it was her fault again. Only then she noticed something that hadn't been there before. It was a small, glowing light which was casting a blue hue across the girl's chest.

A bit bewildered, Sora moved to directly stand in front of the pillar and her eyes widened in shock and wonder at what she finally saw up close. There it was! The long lost soul of the Escaflowne had finally appeared!

The relief she felt made her face brighten. Now she was sure that the woman at least had a chance to live. Sora turned on her heels and sought out her General who had left the area a while ago along with everyone else, not interested in listening to Hitomi's wailing anymore.

"General Folken!" Sora called to him from just outside the door of the study down the hallway where he was busy reading through a dusty tome on a large, cluttered workbench.

He didn't so much as glance at her as she entered the room with a bright smile on her face. Always stoic, never discomposed.

"You must come! The soul of the Escaflowne. It has finally appeared!"

Folken's face barely showed any excitement upon hearing even those words but he crossed the small room with fast strides and entered the laboratory again where he came to stand in front of the pillar with the woman floating inside it. He seemed satisfied to see the small pendant on a chain around her neck.

"There it is, indeed. It's only a matter of time now for the Escaflowne to materialize," Folken murmured mostly to himself.

Sora stood next to him, observing his aristocratic face with careful glances. Her feelings and conscious were beginning to betray her. Sure, she was pleased that the man she had sworn loyalty to finally was one step closer to what he had worked so long and hard for. On the other side, her deepest sympathy was with the woman in front of her.

Somehow, she had developed protective notions for Hitomi during what little time they had shared together. The blonde woman's captivating aura was indeed powerful. Whether it had anything to do with her harboring Escaflowne's soul or if it was solely Hitomi, Sora was not certain.

After patiently waiting for a while, a deep frown of displeasure grew on Folken's face. "Why is nothing happening? Something must be wrong."

His hand rested against the pillar while deep in thought. "Sora. Leave us."

Sora's brow furrowed in worry but she obediently left the laboratory.

* * *

Meanwhile, the small Zaibach leviship had reached the Flying Fortress. Upon exiting, Van was immediately being shoved through the hangar and along several dark hallways. Every now and then his escorts pushed him so hard he almost stumbled over his own feet. When he dared to try and take a look around for better orientation, a soldier struck the side of his head hard. Not being knowledgeable about the route they were taking him would complicate an escape later on.

They were passing several sets of doors leading to what could be laboratories or workshops, judging by their size, when three soldiers talked animatedly amongst themselves in passing. Due to their hushed voices, Van caught on to the tense mood and strained his ears to listened in on their conversation.

"… Escaflowne's soul materialized…or so it seems but they don't know yet what's going to happen with that woman after…General Folken planning to use his magic to…"

Van tensed, his mind on high alert until a fist covered by thick leather armor hit him directly in the face, instantly bruising his cheekbone.

"Keep walking, Abaharaki scum!" The soldier next to him yelled while shoving him forward again.

Van kept his head low, a wry smile plastered on his face despite the stinging pain it caused before he finally gave in. Finally, he could allow the roaring bloodlust coursing through his entire body to take over.

In a most elegant twist, he wrestled his arm out of the other guard's grip and swung one of his long legs around to kick him in the stomach as hard as he could. The sudden attack sent that man crashing into the wall on the side which caused him to hit his head with a sickening crunch and knocked him unconscious immediately.

His companion barely had a chance to register what was going on before Van faced him and retrieved two daggers from the inside of his boots, using one of them to slice the rope his wrists were bound with. His gleaming eyes almost turned black from fury.

After only one swift strike of Van's knife, dark blood poured forth from the soldier's throat, splattering across Van's clothes and face. He grinned darkly while the blood seeping from the man's wound already begun to form a small puddle around his twitching body on the floor. While the soldier still made some gurgling noises before his body sprawled out in a limp heap, enforcements rounded the corner.

The rage had entirely consumed Van and was in control of every move while he lost count of the maimed, fallen soldiers in his wake. Now was finally the time for a bit of revenge after he had restrained himself for so long and he would damn well make sure to enjoy it for as long as it could last.

After a while though, his grin disappeared. This was far too easy. How was it possible for them to have nearly all of Gaea under their control with such a weak army? They were laughable! Hardly even worth fighting against!

Van didn't even break a sweat while he cut down one soldier after the other without showing any mercy. Suddenly, his eyes focused on a man who stood out amongst the others. This soldier was clad in red armor and storming in his direction without a smidgeon of hesitation. In passing, Van struck down the last remaining soldier in front of him only to be met with a powerful wave of energy out of the blue.

His mouth opened in shock but no sound escaped it when he collided with the wall a good stretch behind him at the end of this hallway. Van only groaned when the back of his head whiplashed into the wall and most oxygen left his lungs through the force of the collision. Attempting to gather his wits again, he struggled for much-needed air while black dots danced in front of his eyes and the backside of his skull pounded.

"Magic?! How's that even possible?" Van coughed, "but if you insist!" He added while kindling a source of power deep within his core. As soon as his lungs began working again somewhat, he sheathed his daggers and instead reached for the sword of the fallen Zaibachian soldier closest to him. The weight of the sword threw him off balance for a moment and he nearly failed to counter the move of the red soldier who had reached him, his own sword drawn and ready to strike.

Blood-red eyes gleamed at him and an insane grin adorned his opponent's face.

Van chuckled darkly and met the soldier's stare with an equally intense expression as he infused his own magic into the sword. The shockwave vibrating through Van's parry shook the silver-haired man but he had had enough time to prepare and block it.

Nevertheless, it was evident that this soldier hadn't expected to encounter another individual with magical powers.

They exchanged several fast and hard stabs and thrusts by means of their swords before pausing for a moment, both gasping for oxygen and taking time to assess the other more thoroughly. This was evidently a more balanced fight than either of them had expected.

"Never thought I'd meet someone actually worth fighting…," the red soldier cried with an unusually high-pitched voice and launched another onslaught of attacks, this one even more furious than before. Van countered every move, waiting for a chance to strike his opponent while conserving some energy still.

When he finally saw an opportunity, he pushed through the red-clad soldier's offense and managed to pierce the area where his armor overlapped on the junction of his hip and torso with the borrowed sword's end. A spray of blood seeped out of the wound and spotted the man's red armor like fresh, crimson drops of wax on a seal. The ground at their feet, likewise, was dotted with fresh blood once more and joined that of the fallen soldiers around them.

Van spun away and swung the sword in a wide arch, about to strike the soldier down when he heard a female voice infiltrate his head.

 _„_ _You have to hurry! She is in danger…come_ _ **now**_ _!"_

He had no time to ponder what was going on when a pink pendant already showed him the way in his mind. Without hesitation, Van expelled a quick, powerful pulse of magic, sending the red soldier into a wall on the other, far end of the hallway, knocking him unconscious. He took off in a sprint, aiming for the door the pendant had shown him and barged into the room which lay beyond it. Slamming it closed behind him, Van melted steel bolts into steel hinges, preventing the door from being opened from the outside.

While he did that, he noticed how spent he was from just this short interaction. Using this much magic in a fight was taking a toll on him. He was just about to move further into the room when his eyes focused on the man in the laboratory who was staring directly at him with an equally disbelieving expression. The sight made him freeze in his steps.

Every rational thought left his body as he saw the man with long, silver hair and rust-red eyes staring at him.

„Traitor…," Van finally growled darkly.

* * *

Hitomi was still helpless, floating in the liquid and watching Sora and the General who were talking to each other.

She didn't understand what they were saying and only few pieces of their conversation reached her ears. She heard them mention the Escaflowne more than once, though her mind was too addled and fatigued to figure out what else they were discussing. After a bit, she sunk back into deep oblivion and a sleep-like state due to her exhaustion.

Only the loud turmoil which followed not too long after woke her from this state. Warily, she cracked her eyes open a bit, noticing that Sora was gone. The General stood with his back to her, a strange aura surrounding his form which was making the air around him spike in anticipation.

She scanned the area further in the back and spotted another man. A man she had never thought she'd see again after being sold to General Folken. A man she was now unspeakably relieved to see.

 _What on Gaea was he doing here?_

Hitomi had no chance to ponder this further because she now watched in disbelief how the General was attacked by her black-haired acquaintance through a nearly invisible force. In her delirium, she barely registered the waves of energy going back and forth between the two in a heated exchange. Was this…magic? How on Gaea was this possible?

Each man was so intent upon killing the other that neither of them noticed the destruction they were causing around them. Most magical force waves missed their targets as they made quick moves to evade attacks but some ricocheted off counter maneuvers or shield-like constructs of their own making.

Van had been holding a sword upon entering the room but very soon carelessly disposed of it by sending it flying in Folken's direction, its pointy end aimed at his head. The General, in turn, diverted it from its path with the flick of a wrist. It was clear that neither of them needed a weapon to attack the other.

At some point, one of the attacks collided with the pillar Hitomi was trapped in, cracking the glass but not so much that it would break; not enough to free her just yet. Again, she tried to regain control of her overfatigued body. This was a possible chance to get out of here after all.

Hitomi managed to stretch one of her arms out in front of her but all that did was let her brush the tips of her fingers against the glass uselessly. A stream of bubbles escaped her mouth in frustration. She clenched her eyes shut, willing something, anything to happen. When another byproduct from one of Van's attacks shook the pillar, her fingers grazed along the hairline fractures in the glass and just as if the gesture was the last bit of force needed to bring the material to its breaking point, it finally shattered.

Van was so consumed by his bloodlust and need for revenge that he barely cared about his surroundings. He hadn't even noticed the woman floating in one of the pillars in the back yet.

Only when he accidentally broke one of them and a shower of glass and eerie liquid sloshed his way did he take a moment to look more closely. The magical barrier he had erected shielded him from it and the mess plunged in all directions.

He took advantage of the confusion, blindly reaching for however many of the sharp glass projectiles his mind could grasp and commanded them to change direction, aiming them straight at Folken.

Van heard an angry cry of pain and saw that his brother, who had been caught off guard and not felt the need to protect himself with a shield of magic at this moment, had been struck with one of these shards on the side of his exposed neck. Ripping it from the wound without much thought, he sunk to the floor and clutched the area tightly with a hand to prevent too much blood from spilling out.

Having been given a moment to breathe while his brother was distracted by the wound on his neck, Van's eyes searched the room and finally noticed a woman sprawled out face down on the floor. Glass shards littered the area around her too but this didn't perturb her because she was apparently unconscious. Van's anger quelled when he finally remembered why he was here in the first place.

„Hitomi!" He cried desperately and leaped to her side, carefully turning her around. His fingers found a spot on her pale neck to feel her pulse. It was weak but she was definitely alive, for now. Relief washed over him at the discovery and he wasn't even sure why his heart skipped several beats in addition to that.

Van slid his arms around her and lifted her out of the mess on the floor only to finally register that she was completely naked.

Despite the lack of time for propriety, his face flushed slightly while he scanned the area for something to cover her with. Every now and then, Van glanced over to Folken who still was slumped over on the floor, coughing and groaning while a good part of the cloak he wore shone crimson from blood around the upper left side. The wound appeared to be more serious than Van had anticipated. How most opportune.

"So beat up over a small cut?" Van mused darkly.

In a corner, on something like a coat rack, Van found a black cloak which he wrapped around Hitomi's body. Loud, muffled noises filled the hallway behind the sealed door. More Zaibachian soldiers were already attempting to break through it somehow.

Cursing loudly, Van searched for another door to escape through but this one was the only way in and out of here. Or was it? He briefly closed his eyes in frustration. That left him with no other choice. They had to escape by more unconventional means, namely through the wall to his left, which was hopefully the one leading to the outside unless his intuition was failing him in the most crucial of moments.

Van knew that he was almost completely burned out and had only very little reserves of magic left but it was the only way to get them out of here. The turmoil outside the laboratory grew louder by the minute and he quickly glanced down at the woman in his arms. He surely would be able to face a few more foot soldiers even without magic, but not without endangering his precious cargo.

„It's better to just get out of here," he murmured and shifted her weight a bit to free one of his hands. He closed his eyes and focused, collecting every last bit of magic left inside of him. Van was completely unaware of Folken, who had now enough strength again to focus on the fight.

Folken noticed in horror what his brother was about to do and that he had the woman in his arms, ready to make for a desperate escape. He watched as the orb of energy in Van's hand grew larger and larger.

„No!" Folken croaked despite his injury and his free hand crackled with fresh magic, ready to attack.

The Abaharaki heard his traitor brother's outraged cry and grinned while cold sweat dripped down his face in his attempt to gather enough energy to destroy a portion of the flying fortresses wall.

Van was completely unaware of the pink pendant resting against Hitomi's chest underneath the cloak even when it began to glow in a soft light which enveloped both of them slowly. It caused a rush of new energy to wash through Van's entire system. Instead of wondering where it came from, he immediately used this influx of power to call forth a shield to protect himself and Hitomi before he finally unleashed the sphere in his palm straight against the wall in front of him.

Folken only had enough time to duck and roll behind the nearest pile of broken machinery when the wall exploded in a cloud of smoke and rubble, pieces of it flying through the laboratory, destroying even more pillars and contraptions in the process.

The General watched his brother as he calmly approached the new opening which revealed blue sky and clouds and cried almost desperately, "you're too late, Van! She serves **me** already!"

Van heard him but decided to ignore the meaning behind what Folken was saying for the time being. Instead, he stepped forward while jerking his chin in his brother's direction in a mock goodbye and leaped out into the open sky with a still unconscious Hitomi in his arms.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **Hello again :) Hope you enjoyed the 8th Chapter of this story! I'm currently at a vacation in Sweden (absolutely beautiful, btw)**  
 **40four did her best on this chapter, rewriting the fighting scenes to transport a bit more drama. I'm so grateful to have her as a beta! :) You're great!**

 **Thank you very much for your kind reviews on the last chapter(s)! :D See you soon!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

* * *

Being in free-fall with strong gusts of wind wildly spinning his body wasn't as foreign to him as the added weight of the woman in his arms. He hadn't spared a thought about how the additional load of her body would pull him down faster than anticipated.

In the end, it had been the only way to get out of the Flying Fortress relatively unharmed but he had also failed to account for how exhausted he would be after nearly using all his magic during the fight with the red soldier and his brother.

Thoroughly drained, he was plummeting towards the ground together with his strange acquaintance while desperately trying to summon his wings. It was a clear sign for how depleted he really was when they didn't show up at once and he fiercely hoped that he'd be able to gather enough energy before it was too late.

There hadn't been many situations in his 25 years of life in which he had scolded himself as much as now. He knew that he lacked his usual power after all the fighting and that it would be dangerous to leave the Fortress like that. _"Ridiculous, reckless son of a … king!"_ He heard Dryden's voice echo in his head. As if there had been any other way…

Again, he attempted to summon his wings and it took all the willpower to push far enough into the realm of his mind and body to reach the mystic powers within. Finally, he felt the familiar, excruciating pain in his back. Skin ripped as fresh wounds stretched long in the shape of twin-incisions between his shoulder blades and fresh bones pushed their way through while his mouth gaped open in a soundless scream of agony. Only moments later, born from the grotesque pain, white, majestic wings spread wide on either side of him.

Van still spun in the air for a few seconds before catching himself, then adjusted his wings to catch the currents of the wind around him, and not a moment too late. They were already gracing the tops of the tallest trees in the forest below. He tightened his grip on the woman, pressed her limp body against himself and flapped his wings, body aching still and aiming for a clearing or any opening down there where he could safely land. The exhaustion wouldn't allow him to be picky for much longer.

Although he loved the feeling of flying, he likely wouldn't be able to do it again for a long time. Part of it was the thorough exhaustion, another was because there normally weren't a lot of possibilities for him to do so. Anyone who saw his wings would want to try and kill him at once. Not that he would let himself get killed that easily, but still.

While trying to gain a bit more height again, one of his wings cramped and it threw him off balance, the other threatening to do the same as spasms of pain spread from the junction of back and wings through the bizarre extremities as far as the nerve endings reached. He needed to find a safe spot to land. Now. Only pure willpower kept him going as black dots began to dance in his view.

When the fabric of his pants got caught on a particularly tall treetop it jerked him back, almost like the thing had reached out for him purposely. Body shaking from pain, Van tried to steady himself and but there were no more reserves. Involuntarily banking left, he fell towards the first layer of dense foliage below, branches snapping and showering him with pine needles from one tree and dry leaves from another while plummeting lower and lower. Crashing through layers upon layers, their fall was only slowed by his back and wings which were taking quite a beating as they neared the ground.

Van's whole body screamed in pain as the branches grew thicker the lower they went, not snapping anymore but tossing him from side to side like a ragdoll as he bounced once, twice, then one last time before finally dropping to the cold, hard ground where he hit the back of his head for good measure; again.

Groaning, he rolled to the side to get Hitomi's body off him. All throughout the fall, he'd kept her on top of him, shielding her from harm since she had no way to protect herself from any of this. While his head and muscles throbbed, he stared at Hitomi's face near his like in a trance. She was still out cold and he hoped that she wasn't going to wake up right now– it would be too much for him to have to explain his wings before he could get them to dissolve, especially in his current condition.

No one besides his closest companions Merle, Fiore, and Dryden knew who, or better, what, he really was. Van felt a trickle of blood make its way from a wound on his shoulder towards his back. No wonder. He probably had a good amount of random, small cuts thanks to this outing but nothing he couldn't deal with. And deal with it he would, later, when he resurfaced from the vast, black void which his mind was finally yielding to.

* * *

Hitomi's body and mind were numb when she regained some consciousness. Even though she desperately wanted to, she simply couldn't wake up completely just yet. The only things she felt were frigid air along her left side and the comfortable warmth of a body on her other. She wondered who it was, holding her so tightly and protectively. After the thoroughly distressing events she had gone through recently, she sensed that she could finally feel safe and secure in those arms.

Was it the black-haired man she saw come into the laboratory just before she fell unconscious? Hitomi couldn't be sure until she'd finally be able to open her eyes. Instead, she noticed the strange feeling of another presence in her mind, connected through the link to the pink pendant which hung loosely around her neck.

Noticing the changing winds, she briefly pondered whether it was possible that they were flying but then dismissed the thought immediately. How on Gaea would that be even possible? If she was awake, she'd be shaking her head in disbelief.

Before Hitomi could consider anything else, her mind was already shutting down again, dragging her into deep oblivion once more – only to be awakened again sometime later when a series of impacts shook her. Although the body underneath hers was taking the brunt of it, the arms holding her never let go. Only when they came in contact with what she assumed was solid earth, did their grip on her loosen.

Hitomi must have laid there for a good while, breathing deeply and focusing on the sounds of the night around them before fingers previously paralyzed from the torture in the laboratory finally obeyed her again. Moaning, her eyes slowly fluttered open, only to be greeted with wild, dark hair directly in front of her face.

A big, white feather slowly floated through the periphery of her vision but her attention was solely on the man whom she indeed recognized with a light blush as her mind presented her with memories of their first meeting. How she had unabashedly tried to seduce him to no avail. It had made him all the more interesting already then. But now… He seemed to be out cold because his eyes were shut and his chest was moving under deep and steady breaths. The weight of one of his arms, which was still draped around her waist, suddenly felt like it was going to crush her, so she carefully began to unwind her body from underneath it, upon which he slowly rolled onto his back.

"Oh my….," Hitomi whispered, as her gaze finally wandered further away to check their surroundings. The whole clearing was littered with feathers so white they softly glowed in what little moonlight could reach them through the dense forest. Hitomi frowned in confusion. Where had they landed? She reached out to touch the feather closest to her but as soon as she felt the downy surface, darkness sucked her consciousness into a different reality like a greedy drain.

* * *

 _Hitomi found herself in an unfamiliar town. That alone wasn't something out of the ordinary because she'd never been outside of Pallas before, or maybe she had forgotten about it because she'd been too young to remember._

 _Scanning the area curiously, she marveled at the homely feeling of the lively streets and market in front of her. Hitomi took in the sight of the small, white stone cottages with roofs in various shades of green which were lined up neatly. They were charming and each one looked slightly different than the other. As she walked along, she noticed the cheerful townsfolk around her. She was about to enter the center of the market square when the idyllic scene began to change rapidly._

 _Flames consumed the very houses she had just passed and people's carefree faces changed into expressions of sheer terror. Then, Guymelefs appeared out of nowhere. Marching through the narrow streets and as their heavy feet made the earth give under their weight, they left nothing but destruction in their wake._

 _The heat around Hitomi was becoming unbearable as she stumbled out of the way, the dire situation kicking her into action again. Together with the townsfolk, she ran for her life while letting her instincts guide her in dodging debris falling from taller houses and climbing across rubble which began to block the way. After running for what felt like an eternity, she found herself alone at the end of the long road, in front of a palace. However, what would have once been beautiful to see was already compromised by hungry flames._

 _The brief pause was short-lived because, beneath her, the ground began to shake when the giant Guymelefs caught up and closed in around the palace. With them was a man who she instantly recognized, perched on one of the metal giant's shoulders._

 _"_ _The General...," she thought. Blind panic coursed through her when she saw the hateful smirk of his lips._

 _Just then, the scenery changed. No longer did Hitomi find herself in front of the palace but inside of it. If her memory served her right then it was the throne room. The one she had already seen in her very first of these strange dreams._

 _Her gaze wandered to the throne on the dais and what she saw was a rather familiar sight. Again, the General stood there, holding a severed head which was dangling by the hair in one of his hands and with a devilish smile emblazoned on his cruel face while looking down at the little boy by his feet._

 _The child was clutching a sword which was much too big and heavy for his body. Nevertheless, he cried in blind fury and with tears streaming down his face, "I will seek revenge for them, even if it's the last thing I do, brother!"_

* * *

Fresh, clean oxygen, desperately needed, flowed back into her lungs when Hitomi abruptly awoke back in reality. She found herself in the same, dark forest, her body covered in sweat and reeking of unfamiliar things. She briefly shuddered in response while slowly straightening up and waiting for the last of the fogginess to clear out of her mind.

She propped herself up on one arm but frowned when her fingers felt something strange and soft instead of dewy grass and it made her retract the hand.

Hitomi's eyes narrowed as she focused on the feather, then slowly widened at the sight of the man's face. Memories flashed in front of her like lightning in a storm.

"It really **is** him, I thought I'd imagined it before…," she whispered, her fingertips lightly tracing his face, careful enough to not wake him up just yet. So she hadn't seen a ghost back in the laboratory and he really had come to rescue her. At least, she wanted to think that he had. But… why?

She knew that he was a member of the Abaharaki rebels who were opposing the supremacy of Zaibach. Had he saved her only to abduct her again for their own gain? How did he know about her importance to the General and where to find her?

All the questions made Hitomi's head pound uncomfortably and she dismissed the disconcerting thoughts for a while. There would be more time later to think about all this. Her ears perked and her throat burned when she heard the quiet and unperturbed trickle of water not far off. She was parched, to say the least, and it was almost like she could taste the soot from the imaginary flames in the back of her throat.

Gagging a bit, the need for water became her first priority now. She needed to quench her thirst and then wash the cold sweat and whatever that smell was off of her body along with the sticky liquid from the pillar she had been submerged in. The foul odor was beginning to make her sick to her stomach on top of everything else.

Hitomi's body still felt a little numb but after a few attempts, she managed to crawl towards the small stream which was neatly hidden between mossy banks and tall stalks of grass. She was breathing heavily as she reached down into the cool water, her muscles protesting as she stretched her arms. With pure relief, she dipped her hands into the refreshing liquid and splashed it onto her tired face. A groan of satisfaction escaped her as she began to wash her arms, scrubbing the remnants of the horrid nightmare in the Flying Fortress off herself.

It wasn't enough. She felt downright nasty all over. She needed to cleanse herself of it as well as she could. Right here and right now. Only sparing her rescuer a short glance, she struggled out of the much too large cloak she was wrapped in.

After discarding the garment, she waded into the narrow stream and sucked in a deep breath. It was so cold! Hitomi stifled a small shriek as she plopped down, smack into the middle of the shallow body of water where it was high enough to at least submerge herself up to the waist. After a few minutes of getting used to the temperature, she quickly scrubbed herself clean as well as she could, even dipping her head under somewhat to get most of the stuff out of her hair.

Once in a while, she eyed the sleeping man suspiciously to see if he showed any signs of regaining consciousness. It wasn't because she was afraid he'd see her naked - after this many years in the business, she definitely was used to that - but she didn't know what he was up to.

A soft breeze, although warm, still made her wet body shiver and since goosebumps were already covering her entire body, getting out of the water and drying herself off seemed like a good idea. Thoroughly invigorated, she was finally able to walk slowly. Using the cloak to towel herself off, she wrinkled her nose because some of the foul odor was attached to it too. It made her not want to put it back on. Still naked, she slowly moved over to the man, kneeling down and inspecting him carefully. Only now did she see his wounds too. Some of them were still bleeding a bit. Hitomi frowned pensively.

She owed him this much, didn't she?

Sighing, she reached for the discarded cloak since it was the only fabric she could use apart from his own, blood-stained shirt and pants. Hitomi tore off a few strips along the hem intending to use them as washcloths and makeshift bandages.

Hitomi soaked the cloths in cold water and then sat down by his side again. Gingerly, she began to first clean the wounds she could reach without moving him too much. While she leaned over him and carefully washed the sticky blood away, her gaze fell upon the pink pendant around her neck which was dangling between them in the air.

A comfortable, warm sensation flooded her body when she focused more on it. What was it and why did she have it? Suddenly, she heard a soothing voice in her mind.

 _"_ _I'm a piece of you. I feel what you feel and see what you see. Until the day you choose to wake the dragon…"_

She hastily shook her head and the pendant pulsed in a pink hue as if to reemphasize what she had just heard. Hitomi was still confused about the imaginary voice when the man's face underneath her began to twitch a bit.

".. ngh…" He opened his eyes slowly, only to be greeted with a view he hadn't bargained for. It nearly made him pass out again when not only two beautiful, green, round eyes stared right down at him but also two beautiful, round breasts. The woman seemed to have an angelic glow around her from bits of moonlight which made her appear temptingly ethereal.

Her soft hand cupped his cheek carefully while she spoke to him. "Try not to move too much just yet. I'm taking care of your wounds as well as I can with what I've got."

Van's hand moved slightly in an attempt to touch her, to make certain that she was real but she had already stood up and walked away. His whole body still throbbed and having his magic drained this badly was probably worse than any of the injuries. He just wasn't used to it anymore. He tried to say something to get her to come back but his throat only managed a raspy breath.

Hitomi heard him shift slightly and attempt to speak which only made him cough violently in the end. "What a stubborn guy…," she thought and drenched another strip of fabric in the water.

"Here. Open your mouth," she instructed, then wrung out the cloth right above his parched lips. Cold water trickled onto his tongue and down his throat which made him sigh in relief.

After that, he tried to get up despite his weakened state and her recommendation but failed miserably.

"Hey, I told you not to get up yet. I'm not done cleaning your injuries," Hitomi scolded him and carefully but firmly pushed his shoulders back down with both hands.

Van's opened his mouth in another attempt to speak but the only thing he managed again was a cough. This time though, it was because he nearly choked on his own tongue since he was now even closer to the far too enticing sight her breasts presented him as they were pushed together between her upper arms right in front of his face. Van screwed his eyes shut as a rush of heat shot through his whole body.

"What's the matter? Are you in that much pain?"

Her concerned voice barely reached his ears because the sound of his own blood rushing in his ears was far too loud. Van shielded his closed eyes with a hand additionally and quietly stuttered "… Y-you… are.. n-naked…"

 _What on Gaea is wrong with me,_ he thought immediately while also painfully aware of his, by now, burning hot cheeks.

"Oh," Hitomi exclaimed with a look of surprise, noticing the blush on his face and his slightly raspy voice. Normally, men reacted in any way but that. She suppressed the faint traces of disappointment and insult which developed as a response to his reaction. "Sorry, I forgot the cloak. Wait a minute…" With that, she withdrew from his side and he heard her shuffle on the grass while heavy fabric rustled.

Van couldn't help but watch through his fingers then and caught a glimpse of her shapely body before she pulled the cloak around herself. What he saw left his mouth dry. "Oh sh…", he groaned inwardly. She looked just like he'd involuntarily imagined in his dreams, maybe better even. Damn his traitorous imagination. He couldn't even trust himself anymore.

"There, all covered," she said when she came to his side again. Blissfully oblivious to his mental struggles, Hitomi continued to carefully wash the blood off his wounds, her fingers working on various parts of his body during the effort.

Van was becoming frustrated with the way his thoughts were twisting themselves around her and it cost him all his resolve to not lash out verbally or physically in response to her attention. After far too long, she finally finished with what she could reach on his front side. "Can you turn? I think there are also some injuries on your back…," Hitomi asked him.

"Hmm..," he grunted while moving onto his stomach. At least he wouldn't have to look at her then. Not seeing her fuss over him and imagining what her body looked like under that cloak was a great idea right now.

Hitomi watched him with concern, all the while pondering how it was even possible for them to be here on the ground right now when they had been high up in the Floating Fortress before. She saw no means of transportation anywhere close, nothing like a small leviship or something like that. Nevertheless, she didn't want to ask him about it just now. She was indeed curious about it but reckoned there'd be time later still. Maybe, there'd also be time to find out where all the feathers had come from. An injured animal, perhaps?

While she proceeded to clean his back, she talked to him about something else.

"Although I'm not sure why you came for me yet, I wanted to… thank you…"

"Whatever," Van mumbled in irritation, still quite discomposed. It was weird not to be in full control of himself. He was a bit surprised that Hitomi was helping him instead of taking advantage of his weakened state to escape.

"Finished!" She declared after a few more minutes of silence and work on his back. "Should I get you some more water?"

Van nodded without making any sound, so she got up to get it for him but by the time she came back to his side, he had already fallen into a deep slumber again.

Hitomi stared at him for a while and finally allowed herself to be overcome by her own weakness again. Hesitating a bit at first, she laid down next to him, one arm curled up to support her head while the other reached out for him and hovered in the air for a second before she traced the profile of his face from the top of his forehead, following the line of his nose and across his lips, down to his proud chin with a single finger. She knew nothing about him or his intentions but she couldn't help it. In his presence, she somehow felt safe. Finding some peace in those thoughts, she closed her eyes and let her fatigue get the better of her, joining him in a faraway dreamland.

* * *

"What? This can't be true! The Floating Fortress was attacked above Pallas?" Allen Shezar's outrage rang through the room as his fist slammed down onto the solid tabletop.

His soldiers flinched at the fury in his enraged voice. They had dutifully made their reports about the recent attack, all too well aware of his already foul mood before those news.

"Damn this Abaharaki-scum. If I get my hands on one of these bastards, even all the gods together won't be able to help them…," Allen rambled on.

The nearly empty glass of wine he'd been holding in his other hand shattered into pieces as he flung it at the wall between the soldiers' heads. Red drops of wine splattered onto their faces and stained their armor near the shoulder.

Just after that, a timid knock sounded from the other side of the door.

"What is it!" Allen growled loud enough for the person to hear.

"Knight Caeli… I apologize for interrupting you."

The sound of a soft, female voice caused him to sigh inwardly. He sent the soldiers out and greeted the woman with a more composed façade when she entered.

"Princess Millerna. What can I do for you?" Without hesitating he approached her and took her hand, lightly kissing the back of it.

"I heard about the commotion. Did you know that the Floating Fortress was right above Pallas?"

She snatched her hand away deliberately but politely and looked at him with obvious discontent in her usual, calm voice.

"My dear princess. Wouldn't it be wiser for us to get a hold on the Abaharaki instead of looking for any sign of distrust from amongst our allies? Especially since they were being attacked right in our territory."

The princess held his gaze for few seconds before averting her eyes. "Certainly. You are right as always. Please excuse my distrusting behavior. It only unsettles me that we don't know a thing about them or their plans. Not to mention that they're able to move around undetected by anybody…"

Why was she acting so strange, meddling with things she didn't need to concern her pretty self with? If the king was to hear this, he wouldn't be amused at all. Allen watched the princess, a small tingle of suspicion in the back of his mind which he dismissed again shortly after.

After changing a few more, polite words with the commander, Millerna left his study and wandered through the halls of the castle. The soft hue of early morning light enveloped her as she stopped to look outside through one of the large windows. Her gaze wandered towards the horizon where the sun just began to rise.

Millerna had always been suspicious of the Zaibach Empire. What the commander and her father didn't know, though, was the fact that her betrothed, Dryden, was the head of the rebels who called themselves the Abaharaki.

She had to tell Dryden about her suspicions, even if it meant that she would betray her kingdom. Her heart ached painfully at the thought but there was no other way, it was for the best of Gaea.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **First of all: Sorry sorry sorry for the long wait but life happens sometimes :( I hope it gets better when it's finally winter (no more caterings and nerve-wrecking work to do...) ;)**

 **This chapter really is nothing like the german version at all (and the longest, so far...). After re-reading it a few times, I wasn't satisfied with it anymore and so - naturally with the help of 40four - I took my time in re-writing it almost completely. Thanks to 40four again for the patience she always has with me :) I really, really love your (beta-)work!**

 **Last but not least: Thanks to all the readers who left a review on the last chapter! :)**


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